KUCHING: As you stroll along Bishopgate road, you will come across a magnificent, expansive mural adorning the wall there.
The mural shows a bunch of excited children of different ethnicity on a sampan in the Sarawak river. It is surrounded by plants and patterns from local Dayak tribes.
The mural was painted by Daphne Siaw in the year 2022 in conjunction with the The Art of Semangat project featuring Darlie Malaysia.
Speaking to New Sarawak Tribune, Daphne said the commission involved the involvement of Sarawak and Sabah artists, who were tasked with designing a piece that symbolised unity and overcoming the challenges of Covid-19 together.
“The design aimed to highlight the uniqueness of our culture and showcase the unity of our people,” she said.
“The Bishopgate mural symbolises unity and our strength in supporting each other through tough times,” she added.
Furthermore, the design was adapted into a version of plates during the Gawai festival, which were offered as a complimentary gift to customers who purchased the Darlie Double Action Twin Pack.
This allowed Malaysians to take home a piece of the mural and its message of unity.
“With the increasing diversity and accessibility of street art and commercial pieces, more people are able to appreciate and enjoy these artistic expressions,” she added.
“The whole process took around five days. The design was confirmed and we went to work, drawing, painting and asked some volunteers to join in for Darlie’s promo video.”
“Typically, clients seeking mural commissions have a specific vision in mind.
“Our team will work to create a design that not only meets their specific criteria, but also complements the environment and effectively conveys the intended message,” she said.
As an portrait artist and founder of a company called Artsy Daphy, Daphne said it is a Kuching-based company that specialises in designing and creating artwork ranging from murals, portraits, digital illustrations, custom art, and more for individuals and businesses in Malaysia and Singapore.
Daphne expanded its artistic abilities since 2015 to cater to a wide range of styles for various spaces such as homes, offices, hotels, cafes, restaurants, and even vehicles.
She showcases her diverse artistic abilities across various mediums such as canvas, digital animation, and wall murals.
One of her notable works in 2019 was a mural on the interior wall of Sodu, a trendy bar located in Brighton Square, Kuching. The stunning red-based painting depicts an eerie glow sketch style of the iconic Carpenter Street.In the same year, she also created an acrylic painting on a 1.
2m x 1.5m canvas, which showcased a panoramic view of Kuching city This piece was commissioned by a private client and required extensive layering and detailing.
Aside from that, Daphne also offers personalised portrait paintings upon request. In 2020, she completed a canvas portrait painting of a woman adorned with a Kelabit hat.
“The original image provided was of low resolution and poor quality,” she added.
However, she managed to repaint the image with greater clarity and colour accuracy using acrylic on canvas.
It brings great joy to Daphne and her clients to be able to transform small and blurry photographs into large, striking and memorable pieces of art that can capture and preserve cherished memories.
Recently, Daphne completed a portrait of Michelle Yeoh, depicting the actress holding her Best Actress award from the Oscars ceremony.
While working on the portrait, Daphne was moved by the joy and pride that Yeoh’s smile conveyed.
As an artist, Daphne immerses herself in the expressions and emotions of the subject she paints.
Despite the limited time she had to complete the painting of Yeoh, Daphne felt compelled to celebrate the occasion.
She had initial doubts about her ability to capture Yeoh’s likeness in just an hour of painting for fun, but the final result turned out better than she had anticipated.
Daphne hopes to inspire and train young artists to join her team and help make the world a more colourful and beautiful place of art.
