Symphony of the Tinsmith

Location: 6, China Street, 93000 Kuching, Sarawak, near the junction of China Streer and Main Bazaar Road.

Artist: Leonard Siaw

Date Finished: January 2019 

Background of the Mural:
The mural tells the story of the traditional tinsmithing industry that once flourished around China Street and Carpenter Street in Kuching.

The artwork features three generations of tinsmiths working with traditional hand tools. The craftsmen are shown hammering, shaping, folding and soldering metal to produce everyday household items such as buckets, pots and other tinware. The figures were based on real tinsmiths from the local community, including Ho Swee Nen, one of Kuching's oldest tinsmiths.

The mural was inspired by the distinctive sounds of tinsmithing. The clanging, hammering and tinkling of metal gave the artwork its name, “Symphony of the Tinsmith.” China Street was historically known in the Hokkien community as “pak tik gei,” meaning “hammering metal street,” reflecting its importance as a centre of the traditional metal industry.

The artwork also highlights a traditional craft that is at risk of disappearing because of mass production, cheaper factory-made products and declining interest among younger generations. By portraying real craftsmen and their work, Leonard Siaw used the mural to preserve their stories and remind visitors of Kuching's traditional industries and cultural heritage.

Today, “Symphony of the Tinsmith” serves as a visual record of Kuching's industrial and multicultural heritage. It allows visitors to learn about an important traditional occupation while exploring the historic streets of the Old Kuching area, making the mural an important part of the city's heritage tourism and street-art trail.