Want to know where the best street art in George Town is? Well it’s pretty much everywhere really. Wander the streets of this protected old town and you’ll find a world of painted walls that tell stories of life in the very city they are placed within.
The street art in George Town movement began back in 2010, when the government of Penang commissioned a group called Sculpture at Work to create a collection of steel art pieces to decorate the city centre. But it wasn’t until 2012, when Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic was commissioned to do a series of street paintings for the George Town festival, that the trend really took off.
At first the reaction to Zacharevic’s paintings was adverse. Then Malaysia had no street art scene and a negative stigma towards graffiti. But it didn’t take long for the brilliance and skill of his work to become loved by the people of George Town. It then started to attract visitors on an international scale. With some even being describing him as Asia’s answer to Banksy.
Since then the trend has snowballed with continuous artwork popping up all over the city. Although there are so many amazing pieces of street art in George Town to see, here are my favourites and a little bit about them.
Table of Contents
Little children on a bicycle (Ernest Zacharevic)
This is one of the two murals painted by Ernest Zacharevic, for the George Town festival in 2012.
Where to find it: On a shop wall on Armenian Street
Three Cultural Girls (Unknown)
This little piece is easy to miss as it’s so small, but the detailing is wonderful. The three women depict the three main cultures in Malaysia: Chinese, Malay and Indian, and their unity standing together as one nation.
Where to find it: Lorong Soo Hong
Love Me Like Your Fortune Cat (ASA)
Love me like your fortune cat is one of the pieces of artwork by a group of artists called ASA. The project was called called 101 Lost Kittens. The project had the idea to raise awareness of the issue of stray animals and the importance of finding homes for them. Here the illustration of a stray cat gazes up at the fortune cats surrounding it, perhaps wondering why they seem to have better luck than him.
Where to find it: Armenian Street
Lion Dance (Unknown)
This particular work is an illustration of a lion like those usually depicted in celebrations throughout Asia.
Where to find it: Armenian Street
Skippy (ASA)
This is another piece that is part of the 101 Lost Kittens project. They hope it will raise awareness for stray animals in the city.
Where to find it: Armenian Street
Unknown
There wasn’t much information on this particular artwork, but I liked that is seems so full of life.
Interested in visiting Malaysia?
Read more posts on Malaysia here
Get more travel tips on street art in George Town & other destinations straight into your inbox
No one likes an over crowded inbox, so you’ll only hear from me once or twice a month. And remember you can unsubscribe from my emails any time you want by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from me.
