Kassmadi Morshidi, a young lad from Kuching, any bare wall serves as his canvas for creativity.

He started mural painting two decades ago without any formal training but only fueled by his passion. All the passion has paid off, and now his skills have been sought-after by any building owners to beautify and to brighten up their premises. 

Kassmadi Morshidi busy working on his mural at the RTM Sarawak building in Kuching. Image source via BERNAMA

“Unlike painting on a piece of drawing paper, creating a mural is much more difficult as the space is extensive which requires us to be more detailed so that our artwork meets everyone’s satisfaction, whether they are looking at it from near or from afar,” said Kassmadi to Bernama. 

Kassmadi, aged forty-two, paints his murals with the Daud Bujang, who was a part-time cartoonist before he teamed up with Kassmadi in 1990. The partnership kicked off after they created some paintings on a burger stall that they operated together.

“Our work attracted the attention of a patron who requested us to draw a mural in a kindergarten in Kuching,” said Kassmadi, recounting how they went into mural art seriously.

ARTISTIC JOURNEY

The duo received many requests after the mural in a kindergarten. Kassmadi and Daud even painted a mural for Sarawak Foundation building in Petra Jaya, which is the biggest mural by far for them. The mural was 613 square metres and it took them two weeks. Mural painting does not come without its challenges especially one like that size. Mural painting is always dependent on the weather and Daud nearly fell off the ladder while he was painting the upper part of the wall, recalls Kassmadi.

NIAH CAVES

Their latest project is painting mural for Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) Sarawak. Their theme is the Niah caves and it's luscious surrounding. The RTM was so impressed by their drawings that they engaged them to 'paint' the other stations in Sarawak too. 

Displaying Sarawak's rich natural heritage through this mural painted by Kassmadi. Image source via BERNAMA

Kassmadi was a teacher at an art institute in Miri before fully embrace his passion for mural painting. He wishes to draw a mural with the line-up of Sarawak's Chief ministers since the independence. 

“It will remain my cherished dream until I’m given the space and opportunity to draw this mural… it will be a new attraction for this state,” he commented in an interview with Bernama.

Reference source: BERNAMA