Siaw poses in front of the ‘Dayung Hmuai Semban’ mural at Kota Padawan, which is by far his biggest project.
Muralist sees his journey as doing a work that he loves and also expressing his artistic vision through projects
HAVE you ever wondered what would it feel like having your art pieces displayed on the walls of high-storey buildings where thousands of people would pass them by as they go about their daily lives?
Kuching-born muralist Leonard Siaw Quan Cheng, 34, can surely share with you his journey across the country and around the globe, immortalising history and cultural heritage along the way through his artistry.
He knows that his talent could be traced back to the time when he was just a pre-schooler.
“I remember there was this one time when I was still attending kindergarten – my father drew a tiger on a whiteboard. I had a different idea about how the tiger should be drawn at that time, and I told my father about it.
“He then asked me to give it a try. While I actually ruined the whole drawing in the end, that was when it all first started,” he laughed.
Siaw and his ‘Sampan, The River Taxi’ mural at Jalan Market along Kuching Waterfront.
Siaw said from there, his boundless love for drawing had expanded to random sketchings on exercise books, tables and chairs at school to a point that he received much scolding back in the days.
He said throughout his schooling years at SJKC Chung Hua No 5 and SMK Bandar Kuching No 1, his academic performance was average but his artistic talent was evident to anyone around him.
It was not surprising when Siaw graduated with a Bachelor of Graphic Design and Multimedia and subsequently, he worked in the private sector as a full-time graphic designer.
“After about five years as a full-time graphic designer, as an English saying goes, I felt like my artistic side was ‘calling’ and I felt there was something else that I wanted to accomplish.
“That’s when I made a bold move to resign and began my journey as a muralist,” he told thesundaypost.
Siaw’s ‘Symphony of Tinsmith’ adorns a wall at China Street in Kuching.
‘Eye-opening experience’
Siaw admitted that his parents were not completely receptive to his new career’s direction but slowly, he won them over through his projects.
“When I finally resigned as a graphic designer, I already knew that I wanted to be a mural artist – my first assignment was actually an invitation from a friend, who did a draft for an artwork; I just painted it accordingly.”
Siaw said he was previously under the tutelage of an experienced mural artist during his time in university, and acted as an assistant to the mentor upon completing projects in Sabah and Miri.
“It was really an eye-opening experience, where I got to witness and learn things that students might not encounter in the traditional ‘brick-and-mortar’ classroom. My mentor had shown me the ropes in mural painting and undoubtedly, I was influenced by him.”
Siaw’s ‘Coolie Keng and Big Well’ artwork at Upper China Street poignantly depicts the hustle-and-bustle at the city’s Old Bazaar during the late 19th century, where the ‘coolies’ gathered.
Siaw stressed that it was important for an artist to continue to self-improve not only on artistic techniques but also in developing a reading habit covering wide book genres to gain better perspective in completing a mural, particularly the one meant to depict the history of a community.
Siaw said while his journey as a muralist started with many commissioned projects in the early years, the majority of his clients would accord him with greater freedom to express his artistic vision of a project.
“Usually for mural projects, the client would roughly brief me on the subject and then they would provide me the space for my artistic freedom. The biggest project I have done so far would be the ‘Dayung Hmuai Semban’, also known as ’‘The Last Bidayuh Ring Ladies’, at Kota Padawan near Kuching.”
His works had brought him to the US, Australia and Penang, with each mural project accompanied by its own unique set of challenges, depending on the location, weather and the complexity of the artwork entailed.
‘The Joy of Harvest’ – Siaw’s collaboration with Aries Kong showcased at Penang International Container Art Festival 2020.
Doing it his way
Regardless of how demanding a mural project could be, Siaw said he would usually handle a project alone so as to having complete control over the overall layout and also quality.
“If you’re to ask me which one of the completed murals is my favourite piece, my answer would be each project, as it is a part of my ongoing practice.
“I am happy with the final product, but I’d never be completely satisfied. I always aim to be better in my next piece.”
File photo shows Siaw posing in front of the still-incomplete ‘Dayung Hmuai Semban’ mural at Kota Padawan.
Siaw, who has a younger brother and a younger sister, said it was possible for a muralist to earn a decent living, adding that a project like ‘Little Children on a Bicycle’ in George Town, Penang could not only trigger the local tourism industry, but also command influence over the entire country.
The muralist, however, also pointed out that many efforts needed to be committed towards thrusting such artwork into gaining international fame.
He said the ‘Little Children on a Bicycle’ piece was commissioned in connection with the George Town Festival back in 2012.
“People typically think that an artist could just complete a project and the mural would achieve popularity by itself.
“It does not work like this.”
“When a mural is completed and the subject is accurate, the organiser could organise events celebrating the art piece and the mural would then trigger a story amongst the on-lookers, before landing as a conversation topic around a coffee table.”
‘The Original Flame’ is dedicated to honouring the food vendors who had once run their trades along Kai Joo Lane at India Street (now known as India Street Pedestrian Mall) in Kuching.
Room for growth
Siaw, who is now based in Kuching, said it was every artist’s dream to have one’s own iconic and signature artwork, and gaining an audience had always been important to any artist’s career. One of Siaw’s murals, ‘The Early Mercers’, had entered Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR) as the ‘Largest Augmented Reality (AR) Mural in the Country’.
“Of course, I hope that one day I would have my own iconic murals, like the one in Penang.
“I am mainly based in Sarawak but sometimes, I do fly in and out. As for getting into MBOR, I see it as a bonus should my work get nominated (for such recognition), but that is not my main direction.”
Siaw in the midst of completing a project.
Siaw believed that the arts scene in Kuching – and also Sarawak, as a whole – still had much room for growth and in this regard, all stakeholders including the government and the local artistic community, would have to come together towards making Kuching ‘a city of arts’.
He pointed out Sarawak as having immense potential in making such goal be realised, with its rich cultural heritage including the lifestyle of the Chinese immigrants in the 20th century as well as that of the Bumiputera community – all providing endless inspiration for his next project.
“The way I see my journey is I am doing this work that I love, and this is what I want to do.
“I see my journey from an artistic perspective. Artistry is an ‘endless cultural art desert’ – whoever can’t take it and can’t make it, they would fall.
“Those who are still standing, they would keep on working until the day they are gone.
“For me, any art is never finished, but it is only abandoned,” said Siaw.
Siaw directs a photoshoot for the ‘Coolie Keng and Big Well’ mural at Upper China Street in Kuching.
Those wanting to know more about the artist’s latest mural art pieces and his journey in transforming abandoned walls, can follow Leonard Siaw 萧艺 on Facebook and @leonardsiawart_ on Instagram.
Alternatively, Siaw can be reached via [email protected] for collaboration.