Painting on 'Si Puntung' among artworks selected
Published on: Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Kota Kinabalu: A painting on the Sumateran rhino 'Si Puntung' was one of the four selected artworks during the 32nd Sabah Annual Artworks 2017 here.Monica Vun Yi Jing, a 16-year-old student from SM All Saints, titled her work 'Kenangan Si Puntung Bersama Alam' to immortalise the 25-year-old rhino which was put down on June 15 due to skin cancer.One of the last remaining Sumateran rhinos in Malaysia, Si Puntung was in the care of Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Lahad Datu for the past couple of years.
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Even though Monica has never met or seen the female rhino, the youngest child of three felt sad over the animal. This prompted her to spend RM135 to create the 80cm x 120cm painting – which was also one of the chosen works for the High School category.The painting featured Si Puntung in the jungle and covered in a variety of patterns – inspired by the many ethnic groups in Sabah such as Kadazan, Bajau and Chinese."I drew the patterns on Puntung's body as tattoos because of her skin cancer, indirectly representing the variety of culture in Sabah.
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"The flowers and leaves in the painting are memories of Si Puntung in nature, when she was still living in the forest," she explained.Meanwhile, Suzi Layong, a 16-year-old student from Vision Secondary School, also got her artwork selected in the same category.
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She opted for the quilling method – an art form that involves the use of strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued together to create decorative designs - to produce her work. "I found out about the competition a bit late, so I had only seven days to think of a concept and create the work."After giving it much thought, I decided to create an artwork with the theme of Bobohizan," she said.Moris Dezter Mitanis, a 13-year-old student from St John Beaufort, got his work 'Suasana Dalam Kereta Api' nominated as a selected artwork in the Primary School category."My painting illustrates the scenery of my daily train trip back and forth from school."I wanted to share my experience with everyone else, indirectly promoting the uniqueness of the lifestyle here that may not be available anywhere else," he said.A submission from bank worker Canie Peter Tan, 30, was also chosen as one of the selected artworks in the open category.She said it took her around one month to complete the Butod or sago worm drawing."I used the scribble technique in creating this work, utilising two sets of four different colours.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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