Kong Chak Kiong (Jagung)
Aries aka Jagung is a self taught muralist from Malaysia. From a young age, Aries dreamed of becoming an artist, but it was only in 2015 that he began his full-time practice. He started his career in a series of corporate roles, but he yearned to embrace his true self and pursue art. His wife encouraged him to embark upon a career as a muralist after he gave her a portrait.
Aries currently resides in Sibu Sarawak, East Malaysia; however, he is always travelling to meet the demand for his dynamic murals. His work has been commissioned to beautify facades throughout Malaysia and sites in Taiwan, Australia and China.
His earliest projects were at a shopping mall in his hometown. Four years later, Aries has been commissioned to produce over 90 murals in coffee houses, lounges, shopping malls, kindergartens, airports and in a variety of commercial projects for leading consumer companies. Outside of his professional work, Aries participates in numerous charity and competition events. He was awarded the first runner up at the 2018 ‘Mark Your Mark in Melbourne’ mural competition and invited to paint his own wall in Benalla. The same year he hosted the ‘ShowArt 2.0’ project, to make the biggest mural in Sarawak, measuring 6100 square feet.
His growing fame has elicited controversy from local art critics, Aries decided to accept the brickbats openly. He says, “Art is best described as beauty that lies in the eyes of the beholder. It is difficult to judge an artwork based on one person’s perception because there is no standard in art. As long as it is not provocative and generally acceptable, it is still good art.”