What a year it's been huh? 3 murals in a year. That's how many public spaces I've been asked to paint and occupy over the past 300 days or so we've been rotating around the sun.
The first of these was in June of 2022. I was approached by an interior design and construction firm. They were asked to locate me by the client - a multi national corporation. The client had seen a mural I did at Pasar Seni MRT Entrance A. This led to discussions, pricing, sketches and finally landing the job at the client's office. It was a great experience for me and my team (which consisted of my student Calvin, Marisa and my assistant Aishu). We completed the mural in about 2 weeks. The second one took a bit longer. Details cannot be released at the moment of writing this. But I will update the blog when the official video and launch of the outlet happens. I can say this though; that everyday we were there, we had to go through police checkpoints, conveyor belt Xray contraptions and that we were surrounded by commercial airplanes. The third mural in this story is this. It is located at a law firm and the boss, Fahri, is a great chap and a very intelligent, purposefully driven person and lawyer. Done at a public walkway, it is open to the public to view. It's a very forward thinking piece, pushing boundaries of what's known and trying to give sensibility and accountability to things that are unknown. A generous act of beautifying the wall in front of the office, this project has led to many great (and sometimes funny) discussions and revelations and has accrued interest from passersby in the Mutiara Damansara community. I believe that art (no matter what category or genre) - serves to unite people, foster honest conversations and are pieces where people can connect; if only just for a brief few moments. Art has the ability to stop a person in his/her tracks, to draw and cajole a person out of themselves. Being able to draw or paint well of course, is a prerequisite for this. But upon deeper introspection and understanding of how the world works, in no small feat does wishful thinking make things happen. Sure, we'd all like to be hired all the time doing what we love, but in reality, there are more parts to this. First of all, I believe in people. In everything that we set out to do, whether in business, sales, advertising, the arts, music, finance - It's about people. Ultimately, you'll be working with people most of the time. So it's best to study and understand people skills : The art of presentation, public speaking, listening, conceptualising, being humble, approachable, being grounded and truly knowing yourself both in and out. In general, we all have the same biological makeup, and psychological nuances. We all have our flaws and good points. To know oneself, is to know others. Secondly, it pays to be patient, honest, deliberate, dedicated, researched and open to new ideas, techniques and methods of executing your craft. Read more. Study. Spend time alone. Put in the work. It doesn't pay to be close minded, selfish or egotistical. Or to approach things from a place of lack or scarcity. The latter does not bode well in the larger scheme of things. It's beneath us. In my formative years working for people I've heard this axiom many times - That one should protect one's ideas. Safeguard them like they are the families jewels or gold. I've always had the feeling that there's something a bit wrong about that. Why so protective? Sure, some people may steal it, but isn't plagiarism the best form of flattery? It is only in my later years (after studying myself and the world) I've come to realize that people who say things like that are coming from a place of scarcity and lack. Ideas are bulletproof. An idea doesn't come from you. It comes from the Creative Source or the Universe. Nobody can take it away from you, because in the first place - it wasn't yours to begin with. We are all conduits. Nobody can take an idea or subtract it from you, because and idea only wants to grow (in the real sense of the word) bigger. I believe that if we over protect and try to claim the idea for ourselves - We are inherently killing and destroying the idea and negating it's original Source. I believe that by sharing the idea forward without fear nor favour is to accept graciously that we are connected and blessed to have been tuned into the frequency of the universe. The goal of life is to expand, experience and express oneself truly. In withholding things; we are being anti-life. Having tested this theory in my own life, I can with full confidence, reasoning and belief express that operating from abundance and gratitude - to trust the process - is the way of life. It arises in the way children play, share toys and exude enthusiastic energy while playing. It is evident in the dance. It appears when we are in the zone, when we are in the flow state of things. Sometimes, we have just lost our way, over time, growing up. 'Every child is an artist. The problem is staying an artist when we grow up' - Pablo Picasso Imagine a world where everyone shared their knowledge, resources and supported each other. Where everyone is full, optimal, knowledgeable and supportive. We'd have long solved a lot of problems in the world, or at least have better understanding of ourselves and our communities. Thinking this way inadvertently begets the question : But where will the darkness reside? Well, that is a good question. Chaos will always find a way. It is the counter balance to the light. To structure. Maybe it will manifest in perceived threats of violence, in injustice, and where tension resides. That is the counterbalance. Always trust the light and find a way.
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