KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 — The struggle, sacrifices and hard work of the frontliners in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic over the past year, which is often published in the mass media as well as on social media, have deeply touched the hearts of the people.
As the service could not be repaid with money, many netizens resort to expressing their appreciation and gratitude through various means, including by producing pictures and videos that convey thousands of stories.
A Penang artist, Michael Foo Chee Meng, 39, chose to pay his tribute to these frontliners by producing portraits of the Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, one of the Health Ministry’s war generals in the fight against Covid-19.
However, instead of using pencil or colour sketches, he incorporated green bean seeds and sunflower seeds into his artworks.
“Previously, I have produced a portrait of Dr Noor Hisham using 300 sunflower seeds when I took part in the second season of The Art of Sunflower Seeds contest last April and recently, I used over 4,000 green bean seeds to produce his portrait.
“Although it took me eight hours to complete the artwork, it is nothing compared to Dr Noor Hisham’s tireless efforts in battling against Covid-19,” he told Bernama.
The Ayer Itam-born artist is not a stranger to the field. Previously, he had produced a portrait of legendary star Tan Sri P. Ramlee and Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, using over 620 and 300 local coffee beans, which went viral on social media.
While describing the method as special and unique, Foo said he would ensure that he uses only dry and long-lasting materials so that the artwork would not be easily rotten when stored.
“I have been in the field for quite some time. For me, anyone can create artwork but not many people can incorporate food items into the artwork.
“Not only does it require meticulousness in selecting the materials, but you also need to take your time and have patience in producing the artwork,” said Foo, who also organises art classes for the public.
Elaborating on the process, Foo said he would create the portrait by arranging the selected materials on an A3-size paper based on a chosen picture.
He would then fix the materials using a special glue for arts and craft before leaving the portrait to dry.
Meanwhile, Foo said he was hoping to present his artworks to the prime minister and Dr Noor Hisham as a sign of appreciation for their contribution and leadership.
The young man also plans to create a portrait of the country’s number one singer Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza using saga seeds.
— Bernama
