Who is Muebon? And why does he care about Indonesia's rainforests?

Following in the footsteps of acclaimed 'OBEY' US artist Shepard Fairey and the UK's mysterious Banksy, Thai street artist Muebon is speaking out on issues that concern him.

Muebon's memorable logo. Photo: Muebon

I was lucky enough to get the chance to interview Muebon about his street art which has appeared in cities around the world. He was commissioned by Greenpeace to spray paint a giant mural with the message 'Save Our Forests,' across the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre in the heart of the Thailand's capital.

Muebon admires his work at the BACC. Photo: Greenpeace

We had a wide ranging discussion, uncovering the artist's background and passion for using street art to bring messages to people who may not normally frequent elitist galleries or think about the issues reflected in the work.

Explaining the message behind the mural, Muebon said that the characterful birds were bringing a message to city dwellers about the tragedy of deforestation. The project was part of Greenpeace's global #WingsOfParadise street art campaign highlighting the threats to the forests of Papua (Indonesia) from South East Asia's rampant palm-oil industry.

Muebon uses this bird character to convey the messages in much of his work. Photo: Ewen Mcleish 

Our conversation included Muebon's views on the introduction of GMO crops (primarily maize) into Thailand's agricultural industry and its effect on the environment and farmers' livelihoods: an area I knew little about.

We also discussed the 2018 case where the president of the Italian-Thai construction company was found hunting a black panther in national park forests in Kanchanaburi.

Asked whether he is an artist or environmentalist, Muebon replied emphatically that he was an artist, but that it was essential that people consider society's unsustainable approach to the natural world. The 'Save Our Forests' mural was painted over on the 14th of October 2018.

My full interview entitled, One on one with Muebon: the street artist on making meaning, staying out of 'Hi-So,' galleries and the importance of Indonesia's forests was published by Coconuts Bangkok. A pdf is available here. Thanks to Greenpeace South East Asia for making this happen.

As a condition of interview, Muebon asked that his identity remained a secret.