GARDEN OF NATURAL SPLENDOR

 

Garden of Natural Splendor, acrylic on canvas, 2022. 59" X 40"

This artwork is based on Malaysian bird life. It depicts two Malaysian national symbols: the hibiscus (national flower) and hornbills (national bird). The Hibiscus rosa-sinensis species comes in a wide range of colors including red, orange, yellow, pink and even purple. The red-colored hibiscus is regarded as the national flower, as the color red represents courage and the five petals symbolize the five principles of the Rukun Negara. The dark purple hibiscus at the bottom is of the striking Black Dragon hybrid variety. 

The pair of hornbills represent the two largest and most popular hornbills found in Malaysia: the great hornbill (left, Buceros bicornis AKA Enggang Papan) and the rhinoceros hornbill (right, Buceros rhinoceros AKA Enggang Badak/Kenyalang). The great hornbill is the heaviest of the hornbills and can be found in the northern part of peninsular Malaysia. Its most prominent feature is the bright yellow-and-black horn-like structure called a casque on top of its massive bill. The rhinoceros hornbill, well-known in Malaysia as the state bird of Sarawak, has an orange-and-red casque that curves upwards like a rhinoceros' horn. The Ibans, the largest group of Dayaks in Sarawak, believe it to be the supreme ruler of worldly birds that acts as a messenger from the spirit world. Carvings and statues of rhinoceros hornbills are made by the Ibans to welcome the god of birds, Sengalang Burong, to the rituals and celebrations of mankind. The pairing of the birds represents the two sides of Malaysia: Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak).

The pink-necked green pigeon (Treron vernans, Punai Gading in Malay) is said to be one of the most colorful pigeons in the world, and can be commonly seen in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, where it is called "punai gading" in its local language. Its feathers are mostly green and only males have the namesake pink-colored feathers on their necks. The painting depicts the color differences between the male on the left and the female on the right. Standing next to the pigeons is an orchid mantis (Hymenopus coronatus), a special kind of mantis living in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. The orchid mantis disguises itself as an orchid flower, with its four walking legs mimicking flower petals. It uses its superb camouflage to ambush unsuspecting prey by grabbing them in lightning speed. Below the branch where the pigeons are perching is a stick caterpillar, which is the larval stage of a species of geometer moth. It hides from predators by camouflaging as a wooden branch.

The olive-backed sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis, Kelicap Bukit in Malay, top right) can be found in Southeast Asia and Australia. Males have dark blue feathers on the forehead, throat and upper breast. They feed largely on nectar, although they will also eat insects. 

The great argus pheasant (Argusianus argus, Kuang Raya in Malay, bottom) has brown feathers and a blue head and neck. Males of the species are the largest of all pheasants. Although not as colorful as other pheasants, its feather display surely ranks among the most remarkable. It can be found in Borneo, Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula.

The buffy fish owl (Ketupa ketupu) is native in the tropical forests and wetlands in Southeast Asia. It is the smallest of the fish owls (at 40-48 cm), a family of owls specialized in hunting fish. Like all fish owls, the buffy fish owl has prominent ear tufts on the sides of the head. It is a protected species in Malaysia.

Crawling on a petal of the red hibiscus is an oleander hawk-moth caterpillar (Daphnis nerii). The caterpillar comes in two variants: green and yellow, and the green variant is pictured. It has a large blue-and-white eyespot near the head and a yellow "horn" on the rear. Upon reaching the pupa stage, the caterpillar turns brown and forms a cocoon on the ground.

The white-throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis, Pekaka Belukar in Malay) is widely distributed in Asia from the Middle East to Southeast Asia including Malaysia. Adults have a bright blue back, wings and tail, chestnut-brown feathers on the head, shoulders, flanks and lower belly, and white on the throat and breast. Its large bill is red in color. This kingfisher can be found in a variety of habitats, mostly open country in the plains with trees, wires or other places to perch on. It mainly hunts large crustaceans, insects, earthworms, rodents, snakes, fish and frogs.