Photos: SAMUEL ONG/ The Star
A COLOURFUL mural on the side of an old shoplot along Jalan Pudu, Kuala Lumpur stands out from its canvas of the aged structure, capturing the attention of pedestrians.
Vibrant colours splash the top of the mural above a black-and-white base, while cute little cats stand at the peak of the buildings, overseeing the scenery.
The whimsical artwork is the latest street art by Malaysian-Taiwanese contemporary artist Poesy Liang.
Titled "Victory", it is one of Liang's "Rooftop Cat" series of artwork that goes beyond a beautiful and "Instagrammable" scene as it bears a meaningful message.
"The art features playful felines with big dreams scaling extraordinarily high roofscapes while striving to reach for the colourful sky that is full of wonders.
"The cats attempt to balance uncomfortably at the pinnacle of a roof – just like a leader who will make personal sacrifices to sustain their values and beliefs and reach for the top," said Liang.
Liang also revealed the mural is a self-portrayal of her life and to promote mental health awareness.
"The 'tuxedo' cat in the painting is my beloved cat at home.
"It began in the year 2012 when I had another surgery and the roof of my art studio at Jalan Imbi began to collapse," she said.
Liang said she was financially strapped and unable to pay for repairs and her medical bills. This, she said, caused her mental health to decline – to the extent of having harmful thoughts.
"It was at that time the cat appeared," she said, adding that its antics distracted her from doing anything drastic.
"I named him Harry Putter," said the 47-year-old, who celebrated her birthday on July 31.
Liang has recurring spinal tumours – which cause her to be paralysed each time – since she was 17, but she has defied the odds by learning to walk again each time.
Liang said that the mural was commissioned by an insurance company as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative to spread mental health awareness.
"Humour is the most important ingredient to recovery if you are facing a tragedy, so I tried to inject humour into the piece.
"I hope that this can serve as an inspiration to people to realise their dreams," she said.
Liang said there are many tiny details in the mural.
The public will definitely see black and white cats, representing the animals cared for by the artist.
The nine colours are the corporate colours of the client Liang collaborated with.
On one of the roofs, Harry Putter wears a cape and is drawn next to a white cat.
"The white cat is Dot Dot and this shows even heroes need love," Liang added.
Another tiny detail is "Miao", drawn at ground level.
"When painting the mural, it surprisingly attracted quite a number of real cats," she said.
Visitors can check out the mural at the side of the shoplots at 175, Jalan Pudu, Kuala Lumpur.
