“Regardless
of age, ethnicity or background, Johor Baru will always be home;” This is the
theme on which artists, Adeputra Masli, Akeem Keroncong, Low Shi Jian and
Pauline See, created their designs on the Bangsa Johor wall.
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| By day, this site is used as a public carpark |
The wall,
which spans the length of a prewar shophouse that houses Maco Vintage Café,
enjoys two street fronts at Jalan Ibrahim and Jalan Tan Hiok Nee.
This was the canvas presented to the artists
to express their creations that represent the rich and colourful diversity of
the history and culture of the people of Johor.
This site
is used as a carpark by day and frequented by office workers, locals and
tourists who visit the city’s heritage quarter.
As parking space is scarce in the city, it was a challenge to keep the
space open for the artists to paint their expressions on the wall.
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| Spot the iconic masks in this mural design by Adeputra Masli |
But come
rain or shine, the artists overcame the challenges and completed their
paintings as an item of the 13th Johor Baru Arts Festival.
Recognised
by their distinctive styles, each artist covered sections of the wall with murals
that share their own thoughts and aspirations for Johor.
The
unmistakable bold brush strokes of Akeem Keroncong portrays a child blowing
bubbles. While all the bubbles are
floating in the invisible wind, some bubbles painted with Johor flags, appear
to have wings that are flying them beyond our borders to reach greater heights
of achievement.
In
her signature design that often features a little girl wearing a red dress, Pauline
See drew a mythical bird which is linked to a school of whales by climbing
vines above a mangrove forest, inspired by Johor’s Ramsar Site. Just as the whales are free to roam the oceans,
the artist considers how the people of Johor are like the whales – exploring
and gaining experiences from near and far – but yet have a homing instinct with
strong ties to their home.
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| Note the artist, Pauline See's interpretation of Johor's Ramsar Site in her mural design |
A
collection of musical instruments in the mural by Adeputra Masli – from
keyboards, viola, gambus, guitar,
maracas to a range of drums – are identified against a blend of bright
colours. (The artist’s signature designs
of iconic masks, often presented in profile, are still evident in this creation.)
This artistic expression depicts how
music transcends all borders!
Taking
his inspiration from the traditional dragon dance and lion dance, Low Shi Jian,
combined Indian and Malay elements to create a mythical creature that appears
to be dancing to the beat of a kompang
played by a futuristic character. Low,
the youngest of the four artists, observed the traits of Johoreans as
progressive and forward-thinking people.
One
of the items on the final day of the 13th JB Arts Fest was a
drumming event where drummers collaborated for a special performance of Malay,
Indian and Chinese drums.
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| The drizzle did not stop artist, Low Shi Jian, from working on his wall mural |
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| The drummers at the Bangsa Johor wall, exchanging skills and cultures in a unique drum show |
This
wall mural was the perfect backdrop for the drumming show where the audience
enjoyed watching the drummers performing and exchanging skills and cultures in
the spirit of Bangsa Johor.
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