(Above, from left) Min and Choy touching up on their installation art adapted from Gulliver’s Travels. (Left) Delwin posing with one of his artworks. (Below) A miniature painting on display at the exhibition. Photos: LIM BENG TATT/The Star
AN installation art piece adapted from Gulliver’s Travels featuring ‘little people’ tying down a hippopotamus carries a message against poaching.
The piece by Jason Min, 35, and Vincent Choy, 28, is being showcased at the Art for Nature (AFN) exhibition at the Hin Bus Depot in Jalan Gurdwara, Penang.
Min said they adapted the concept from a famous scene in the English classic which showed Gulliver being tied down by the Lilliputians.
“We changed the character to an endangered hippopotamus to highlight the issue of the illegal wildlife trade.
“As artists, we have to use our creativity to come up with ideas to emphasise the importance of conservation efforts and protecting wildlife from poachers.
“There are many avenues we can use to send a message against poaching. But we want people to become interested when they see our installation art, which is why we picked the scene from Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift,” he said at the launch of the exhibition on Saturday.
Min said their piece made from recyclable materials such as polystyrene ice box took about four months to complete.
The two are among 27 artists who are taking part in the annual charity art exhibition themed ‘Nurturing Nature’ in support of World Wide Fund for Nature-Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia).
Also showcasing his works in support of WWF’s initiative is savant artist Delwin Cheah, 14, whose passion for animals is evident from his two artworks titled ‘The Pangolins’ and ‘The Belum Forest’.
His mother Erina Law, 41, said her son was concerned about some animals which might go extinct if no proactive measures were taken.
“Last time, my husband and I were not as aware of the environment but Delwin changed our perspective. He always has a love for animals. He started drawing at three and his drawings consistently featured animals.
“As adults, we are cautious towards animals as we fear the danger but Delwin feels that animals are his friends and this is the approach he portrays in his drawings to help in WWF’s cause,” she said.
More than 40 artworks including paintings and installations will be on display until Jan 17 from 11am to 6pm Monday to Friday, and from 11am to 8pm on weekends. Admission is free.
Proceeds from the sale of the art pieces will be channelled to WWF-Malaysia’s conservation efforts.
Among those present was WWF-Malaysia CEO and executive director Datuk Dionysius Sharma.
