25/09/2025
It's been a creative adventure to assist BLEND Creative Imaging on this one! Working abroad on murals comes with a few extra challenges, but well worth it!
Here is a full view of the mural we made in SXM in July! See the making-of reel in previous post! I am really grateful that I got this opportunity from & Be The Change St. Maarten Foundation.
About a year ago I got contacted by them and from there this project started rolling. Months later they received the awesome news that Mondriaan Fonds granted their request for project funding! They asked "can we involve the community in what should be on that wall?" I said "sure, I accept the challenge" 6 months later, after numerous inputs from the community of Sint Maarten, the choice had clearly fallen on a "local icon" and most voted to "give this one his flowers while alive": Louis Lambert Richardson a.k.a Porkchop.
At the beginning of the year, I started researching and, as not much could be found online, I got great help from Laura & Melanie the driving forces behind Colormesxm, they send more info, did interviews with him and his family, got me more pictures from different angles. More brainstorming, more sketching and more drawing.. and that's how this took form.
It tells the story of his life, as he lived an interesting and full one, did many things with great passion and pleasure, and as he said "most things in life he did to bring joy to others". After having met him during the making of the wall a few times, we realized even more, that indeed it is very special to get the chance to beautify Phillipsburg with a mural about a beloved living icon.
I loved working on this project, because the organization gave me a lot of trust, enough time and creative freedom to create something unique. But even more so because his story reminded me that I am on the right track too.. doing what I love! I followed my passion for drawing I had as kid, even when many said "you can't live off of this", but I kept illustrating and now-a-days it's cool that some appreciate, understand and support it.
At the end-celebration, there was a small hick-up as Mr. Porkchop couldn't be present as he was ill .. but his whole family was there! I got to meet all of them. And thank god, he is doing okay again! The "vernisage" was very well organized by the professional team of Be The Change Foundation and... they even have 1 more surprise in store.. don't know when, but together with local film crew Nozin they worked on a really cool short documentary about this local icon and the project! So stay tuned for that...
We truly hope more and more creative collaborations and exchanges lie in the future between the Caribbean islands and also the Netherlands and beyond. For 1 it took us 1 step closer to our goal to "spread the messages in my visual stories beyond our island borders"... Wynwood done, Sint Maarten check .. Let's see what's next!
For now I want to thank the whole organization for making this happen and also the sponsors: Mondriaan Fonds - Kooyman St. Maarten - WINAIR - Holland House Beach Hotel - Seaview Beach Hotel St. Maarten - Aerial Lifts Rental SXM for their support in this project. And of course, my assistant-painter/reel-maker/manager-sister Nicole Whatsyourstory?/ PickNic Projects for managing the smooth running of the projects.
-Sander van Beusekom. BLEND
