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843 Valour Road
Location Map
The figure at the right front of the Mural is Dr. Jose Rizal, a national hero of the Phillipines, who lived from 1861-1896.
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Location: NE corner Valour & St. Matthews; South & East Face
Occupant: Valour Road Convenience Store
District: West End
Neighbourhood: Minto
Artist(s): Mandy van Leeuwen
Year: 2004
Sponsors: West End BIZ, Building Communities Initiative
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Mandy van Leeuwen: "The theme of this Mural is the Philippines. On the south wall
there is a lot of national symbolism in the scene. At the side we start with the Philippine
Eagle, their national bird. The landscape there is rich and varied. There are rice fields,
hills and mountains. There are different sections of the Philippines- there are also
beaches and islands. The beaches in the Philippines are world-famous. There is a long
tailed boat in the scene. The portrait at the right is of Dr. Jose Rival, a national hero of
the Philippines."
( N.B. For an excellent orientation on the life of Dr. Jose Rival see
http://www.joserizal.ph/in01.html
"Beside him is the natural national fruit; and beside that (on the east wall) is the national
flower, the Sampaguita. The colourful roosters and chickens on that east wall are
very common there; they wander all over the place. The Jeepney vehicle shown
here is a common form of transportation. People just hop on. There are flooding
boards and also doors at the back or side- it's very easy to catch a ride. This one
was a little fancier than most which are older, more rustic. Medina is the last name
of the store owner. Their store is run by Jerry and Laling; and Cavite is the province
where they're from. So that's why those names appear on the jeepney." ( N.B.
visit the
Jeepney Mania website!)
"Basketball is a national sport, and one in which they have much pride. When Jerry
was younger he played basketball, I believe for team called the Black Jacks where he
wore number 44 also as a photo reference, I had an image of him as a boy riding a
Carabao, or Asian Water Buffalo, which is their national animal and workhorses of
the country. I've actually been on one of these animals myself!"
"I'm quite happy with this mural! The colours are rich. The textures was a little
time-consuming but it was worth it. There's a nice juxtaposition at the corner from
national symbolisms on the south wall and merging this with the more personal
touches for the clients on the east wall."
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