Marine Scientist | Upcycle Artist | Conservationist
Japson Wong
Most people call me a junk artist or upcycle artist, because I make creative art pieces and occasionally sculptures out of junks, despite limited background in arts (maybe just few compulsory art classes in my primary and secondary school).
My passion for arts, crafts, and sculptures started in 2013 when I did my own wedding car design using discarded Styrofoam and red cloths. With plenty of encouragement and support from family and friends I slowly develop more junk art pieces made out of unwanted PVCs, x-rays films, coffee capsules, juice bottles, wooden pallets, polycarbonate sheets. These creations can now be seen in shopping malls, hotels, art gallery, cafes, airport, shops around Sabah (and most likely on your social media, too). I hope my arts, often nature-themed, can inspire for more love towards Mother Nature, and therefore stronger support for conservation efforts.
Before I ventured into upcycling arts, I actually studied and worked as a marine scientist at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). As a research officer responsible for seaweed cultivation, I managed the UMS Seaweed Research Unit and consulted multiple companies/communities in Sabah, Sarawak (Kuching & Lawas) Kedah (Langkawi), Penang, Johor, and Indonesia (Batam & Acheh) on the setup of their seaweed farms.
Now working with other like-minded souls on this platform, we hope to develop seaweed farming as alternative source of income for local coastal communities, which ultimately provide sustainable livelihood while reducing pressure on the local ecosystems. Also, we hope to add artistic elements to the artificial reef structure so that not only it can serves as habitat for rehabilitating corals and as breakwater to reduce coastal erosion, the artistic reef itself can also help attract more visitors to learn more about marine conservation.
