IPOH, Jan 31 — Get ready for a roaring change of Taman Jubilees mural art in conjunction with its 10th anniversary.
Eric Lai, the artist responsible for the 50 pieces work of art adorning the 300 meters of back lane here, said he would be drawing new images to celebrate the milestone.
“This is my contribution to the city,” the art teacher told Malay Mail.
To kickstart the refurbishment of the murals, Lai drew a tigress with three cubs recently in conjunction with Chinese New Year.
Explaining the rationale behind the drawing, which has been named Full Love, Lai said he chose to draw a tigress and the cubs to show the nurturing factor.
“Normally when there is a drawing of a tiger, it will only be a stand alone picture of the majestic animal.”
But following the emergence of Covid-19 in 2020 he said he saw a new way of life and a need to be more caring for those around us.
As for the name Full Love, Lai, who completed the drawing in one day, said it was a homophone to the Cantonese word for tiger or fu.
Lai hopes to be able to draw one painting each week to complete the project by year-end.
“I hope my schedule will not clash with the project.”
On what to expect for the new artwork, Lai said he would be focusing on the city’s dying trade.
“I have a number of ideas on what to draw but I am still deciding what will be the better one before putting it on the wall.”
Lai, who specialises in working with special children, started the art mural in 2012 after a friend proposed to Lai that he decorate the back lane of Taman Jubilee with his colourful drawings.
At that time, mural art was just starting to gain popularity in Malaysia.
When he started the drawings, Lai’s mural art promoted the various cultures and forgotten traditional games in Malaysia.
His work won the recognition of the state government when it was renamed the Ipoh Art Lane in 2014.
Asked why he chose the dying trade as the concept behind the new drawings, Lai said he wanted to promote Ipoh’s speciality and history.
He said he started drawing local specialities in Pantai Remis and it received good reviews from locals and tourists.
“By focusing on local specialities, visitors will remember the picture was taken from a visit to that place just by looking at the drawing.
“Ultimately, it will help to promote local tourism.”
