Mural artist leaves mark beyond Sarawak’s shores
KUCHING: A mural artist Leonard Siaw has successfully left his art prints beyond Sarawak’s shores when he completed a piece entitled ‘Fishing Fun’ at the ‘Wall to Wall Festival Benalla 2018’ in Melbourne, Australia recently.
He expressed hope that the state and country would be proud of him for being the first Malaysian and also the first Asian sent by ‘Visit Victoria’ to make his mark at the festival.
He was picked to go to the festival after he won the grand prize of the ‘ Make Your Mark in Melbourne Street Art Competition 2017’ organised by Visit Victoria ( VV) and Publika Shopping Gallery in Kuala Lumpur.
He said ‘Fishing Fun’ portrays one of his best childhood memories, where he spent most of his childhood in the village of his grandparents, who ran fish farming business with his uncles.
“Since Benalla is a countryside, I immediately felt a connection with the town. Thus, I decided to portray my story through my brushes.
“The fish farming business is the best memory I have as a child because during the harvest season everyone would jump into the lake having fun catching fish,” he said.
Siaw has been creating murals and other art genres in and around Kuching such as shopping malls, coffee shops, studios, museums, cafeterias, coffee houses and boutique hotels.
He recently delved into something new and more challenging — anamorphic art, which is described as a projection
Since Benalla is a countryside, I immediately felt a connection with the town. Thus, I decided to portray my story through my brushes.
or drawing that is distorted but when observed through a particular viewpoint or method, appears normal.
He started by doing an image of an orang utan on the wall of a lodge at Temple Street here.
Siaw said, growing up, he always had a desire to express his imagination in some visual form. The best way he could think of doing this was through art.
He already knew he had a passion for drawing and painting when he was younger but he never expected it could become his vocation.
Leonard Siaw, mural artist