Penang murals: Street art in George Town, Penang

30-Jan-2019, 09:00

30 Jan 2019, 09:00

Some cartoon or caricature images are fashioned from wrought-iron rods while others incorporate real life objects into the painting for a 3D effect.

This mural on Victoria Street has transformed a very scruffy wall into a work of art.

George Town, Penang has become famous in recent years for its whimsical street art and murals, transforming drab and tatty shophouse walls into tourist attractions in their own right.

Other towns in Malaysia, such as Ipoh and Melaka, have noticed Penang’s success and installed their own versions.

Here are some examples of the murals in George Town which come in two styles:

• Cartoon or caricature images made from wrought-iron rod sculptures each telling something about the particular neighbourhood where the sculpture is located.

There are 52 of these steel-rod sculptures scattered around the Unesco core and buffer zones of downtown George Town.

These designs won a competition set by the Penang State Government in 2009 to decorate public spaces in George Town and to brand Penang as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

This mural on Armenian Street comments on how old brass- and copper-making trades have been replaced by recycling glass, tin and newspapers.

This humorous Spy vs. Spy mural hints at how Cintra Street was home to Japanese brothels and Japanese spies in the early 20th century.

This wrought-iron mural on Jalan Sungai Ujong incorporates a fire hydrant into the image.

• Painted murals by renowned and lesser known artists: Some of these murals incorporate real life objects like bicycles, chairs and fire hydrants into the painting to give a 3D effect.

The most famous mural is probably “Kids on Bicycle” by Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic. New ones are springing up all the time.