PAINTING THE FUTURE
Winners of the Light Rail Transit 3 (LRT3) ‘Painting The Rail Future’ art contest envision a bright and futuristic commute for all, writes
THEY are dubbed “Picasso sisters” by friends and family. Leong Ka Hei, 16, and her sister Ka Mun, 19, are among the 12 winners of the recent Light Rail Transit 3’s (LRT3) “Painting The Rail Future” art contest.
Jointly organised by Prasarana Malaysia Bhd (Prasarana) and MRCB George Kent Sdn Bhd (MRCBGK), the project delivery partner of the LRT3 project, it was held to engage the community in the development of the LRT3 project, where people of all ages could come together to showcase their artistic skills.
Ka Mun was the second runnerup for the college/university cate- gory, while Ka Hei was Category B (primary school — aged between 13 and 17) winner.
Sharing the story behind her artwork, Ka Hei explained that the hourglass in her drawing represented the evolution of time. “The LRT3 train entering and exiting the hourglass shows the transformation of the design of future LRT trains.
“Futuristic buildings can be seen at the bottom of the hourmerised glass, denoting an ‘eye’ to the future of LRT3 becoming the leader in the railway industry.
“I see a future where our rail ventures into the sea and
Malaysians can actually travel underwater by train and be mes- by the beauty of our marine life. This is my vision of the LRT technology,” said the younger of the two sisters.
Ka Mun, on the other hand, said she participated in the art contest to share her ideas and thoughts on how she would imagine our future rails to be.
“As technology rapidly advances, I don’t think my idea is as far-fetched as some would bethe lieve. The aim of LRT3 is to lead Malaysia in the rail industry from now to beyond 2020. As can be seen from the drawing, the LRT3 train coming out from Malaysia shows that it is the leadindustry. er in the rail
“Futuristic landscaping with greenery in the drawing proves that with the ‘green technolLRT3, ogy’ used in we can help preserve our environment. I wanted to show that LRT3 will connect millions of Malaysians to all corners of the world, and maybe even create inter planetravel,” tary she added. Winner in the open category, 26-yearAhmad old Syahmi Ismail is known for his paintings at a leading motor vehicle dealer c o mpany in Shah Alam and the “Drugs Valley” mural in SK Sri Nilam in Kuala Lumpur. “When I participated in the LRT3 art contest, I took it as a great platto form share my ideas and vision of how Kuala Lumpur would evolve.
“This is my first time exploring a fullcoloured page, and I would say the transformation and choice of vibrant colours generate a powerful message on how the city will retain its beauty, despite the development and changes we are seeing right now,” said Syahmi, who works as an architect in Kuala Lumpur.
Syahmi said while he was passionate about all things artistic, he was particularly interested in experimenting with designs and building forms.
Aside from his day job, he hoped to do his part by beautifying the city.
Ka Mun, who is currently pursuing media studies in a private college, believed that art had brought her and her younger sibling closer.
“Painting together has certainly helped Ka Hei and I strengthen our bond. We spend many hours researching and discussing our artwork before picking up our brushes to create what we hope will become masterpieces.
“While we have very different styles of painting, our love for art has brought us closer. I believe that we will continue to paint together as we grow older while staying true to our own styles,” said Ka Mun.
Ka Hei said she squeezed in as much time as possible to pursue her passion in art — especially drawing cartoons and doodling, while juggling between the demands of school life.
“I suppose I first realised my talent and developed my artistic skills when my parents sent me for art tuition. I started painting since I was five and had actually won a trophy bigger than me for a contest,” she said, adding that she did not inherit her talent from either of her parents.
“My parents don’t paint. In fact, my dad told me he almost failed in his art exam in school,” she said.
Having taken part in more than 300 art contests, Ka Hei carries a lucky charm — a keychain toy of a turtle and bear — every time she enters a competition.
The contest began in October last year, and 12 winners were selected in January this year from a total of 125 artworks submitted.
The LRT3 project envisages to connect two million people between Bandar Utama and Klang by 2020. Developed in line with the Greater Kuala Lumpur/ Klang Valley (GKL/KV) Land Public Transport Masterplan, LRT3 will be a key feature in extending rail connectivity to the Western Corridor of GKL/KV.