Narrating Kuching’s history through murals
KUCHING: Back in early 2015, a trend of street art was initiated by the Kuching North City Commission ( DBKU) and many local artists, school children as well as university students started to show their talents in street arts in and around the city.
DBKU commissioner Datuk Wee Hong Seng said currently, DBKU had started a mural project under the Old Kuching Smart Heritage (OKSHE) agenda to record the past history in those heritage streets through murals.
“Themed ‘ History on Wall’, business ventures that took place had to be made known, including at least two or three generations who were still running their businesses at the street” he told Bernama here yesterday.
The recently launched OKSHE agenda entails maintaining Sarawak’s cultural heritage as liveable, dynamic, beautiful, clean and safe city to live in.
DBKU is currently collaborating with a local mural artist, Leonard Siaw, who has been doing brush murals since 2013 and then decided to turn it into his full-time job.
“The latest murals will be the Sampan-River Taxi that is located at the water fountain near the Kuching Waterfront.
“My first mural that I did was a painting of fabric entrepreneurs at India Street, a business that has been pioneered by the Chinese and Malay communities since the early 60’s,” Siaw said.
He said when members of the public looked at the murals, it would take them down memory lane and let them feel the transformation of those areas.
Some of Siaw’s murals are beautiful paintings showing the colourful diversity of Sarawak’s people, among others, the orang utan painting at Singgahsana Lodge, and four children of different races sitting together at the Open Air Market as well as the tinsmiths at China Street here.
However, Siaw is not the only street art artist who burns the midnight oil painting amazing murals around Kuching’s streets.
Others, such as the murals of Amy Amin and Sonia Luhong, can be seen around the Electra House building, Kuching Waterfront, India Street, Wayang Street, Carpenter Street, Main Bazaar Street and several eateries in Kuching that are accessible and look great in photos. — Bernama