Off the northwest coast of Malaysia is the island of Penang. George Town is the capital of Penang and is known for murals and other art installations. These works are contributions from both local and international artists and are great fun to explore for a day or two. This guide provides tips to successfully explore the street art of Penang.
George Town – A Brief History
George Town’s history dates all the way back to the 18th century and was founded by Captain Francis Light of the British East India Company.
Captain Light arrived in Penang during 1786 and created a settlement, named after King George III from England – George Town was originally a trading post for the British East India Company but soon grew to be a major trading port exporting tin and rubber mainly amongst other commodities.
In the 19th century GeorgeTown received a lot of immigration from countries including China, India and middle eastern nations who came to trade in the area. This influence can be seen all over Penang even as you walk around today. The architecture and unique culture of this local area are what make Penang amazing.
Over the 20th century George Town has had several key developments and changes, from Japanese control to gaining its independence from the British to suffering an economic decline in the late 80’s/90’s and even early 2,000’s. George Town has revitalised significantly as we have ventured deeper into the 21st century.
The interesting thing about George Town is that it has only become an art-centric hub in the past 15 years. In 2008 it was listed as a UNESCO world heritage site and it wasn’t until 2009 that George Town received its first art project.
The project was called Making George Town and consisted of metal-worked sculptures in a cartoon-style depiction, these still exist all over George Town today and are great fun to find them as you wander the streets.
Following on from this first art project George Town has seen several other successful projects focusing on a variety of subjects and causes. From the lives of the local people to raising awareness of stray animals. George Town has seen some incredible artists contribute to this location and has become the art hub of Malaysia.
Prominent Works of George Town and Where to Find Them
As you saunter through the streets of George Town you will be hard pressed to miss the large amounts of artworks here but here are some of the more prominent works and where they can be found.
The Best Known Artworks
Little Children on a Bicycle
This piece is done by Ernest Zacharevic and is one of two murals located on Armenian Street as part of the Mirrors George Town project in 2012. The mural depicts a little boy being taken on a bicycle ride by his older sister and brings a lovely element of joy to this street.
Boy on a Bike
Another piece by Ernest Zacharevic – this mural depicts a little boy on a motorcycle watching the traffic passing by on the street. Located on Ah Quee Street in Georgetown this artwork is next to the “Little Boy with Pet Dinosaur” piece also by Ernest Zacherevic.
The Real Bruce Lee Would Never Do This
“The Real Bruce Lee Would Never Do This” by Artists Against Stray Animals
Located between Ah Quee Street and Beach Street this artwork may require a bit of searching to find it. The mural depicts Bruce Lee kicking two stray cats and was painted by the Artists Against Stray Animals (ASA) group. It is designed to help raise awareness about the large amount of stray animals in the city.
For Walking Further
Located on the popular and bustling Love Lane. This artwork is by an artist who is no stranger to Penang. This piece by Julia Volchkova depicts a street busker with the sign “For walking further”.
Little Boy with Pet Dinosaur Mural
Another piece by Ernest Zacharevic – this mural depicts a little boy holding onto a leash attached to a children’s drawing of a dinosaur. Located on Ah Quee Street in Georgetown this artwork is next to the “Boy on Bike” piece – positioned perfectly so the two artworks compliment each other.
Children on the Swing
In an alleyway off Chulia Street lies a well known piece by a local artist named Louis Gan. The piece contains two children (Assumed to be brother and sister) on a swing next to a road sign (also part of the work) called Step by “Step Lane”
An Army of Chinese Cats
Found on Beach Street this depiction shows an army of cats holding a variety of objects with Chinese cultural indications. It is unsure on who the artist of this mural is but it certainly makes for an interesting piece.
Pieces to Spot as you Walk Around
As well as enjoying the well known artworks I personally find the very best thing about Georgetown being the street art capital of Malaysia is that art can be found pretty much everywhere!
Various Pieces from the Making George Town Project
Across the city you will find various installations involving metal steel rods formed as cartoon style characters. These are found in a lot of different locations so keep an eye out and see how many you can spot.
We especially loved walking through the bustling streets of Little India, these sculptures can be found in even the most obscure places which means trying to find them leads you down roads, checking behind buildings, looking both up to the tops of buildings and in the arches. The interactive nature of this project is truly fantastic.
New Artworks
George Town is a forever expanding, evolving and changing canvas, from the work done over the last 15 years it serves to attract new talent. Some of the original murals may have faded but new ones are popping up regularly.
The Artists Behind the Works of George Town, Penang
Over the years, George Town has seen a variety of artists contribute to its increasing art scene. The artworks seen in this amazing city are from local and international artists of which are:
Ernest Zacharevic
A talented artist from Lithuania commissioned to create Mirrors George Town. This project helped put Penang on the map. The Mirrors project depicted the lives of local people and featured 6 works. Zacharevic’s works are perhaps the most publicised works in George Town.
Artists for Stray Animals
Tang Yeok Khang and Louise Low from Malaysia combined their efforts with Natthaton Muangkliang from Thailand to form the group named “Artists for Stray Animals” – These artists have contributed towards many works in George Town including a project named 101 Lost Kittens. The works of ASA have been joined over the years with several unknown artists contributing and adding their works to George Town.
Louis Gan
Louis Gan is a local freelance artist who is both deaf and mute. He is self-taught and prefers to use watercolours and acrylics. He is best known for the mural – Children on the Swing.
Julia Volchkova
Russian born artist Julia Volchkova captures the soul in her artworks of George Town, her works focus on the roots of local culture and was originally drawn to the location as part of the Urban Xchange: Crossing Over project
Conclusion
While I wish I could detail exactly where to find all of the pieces there are new pieces appearing on a consistent basis so I can advise to go for a wander in the popular areas detailed in this article. There are some of the popular ones but I personally found it to be more fun to see this article for myself and be surprised.
I hope this article has helped give an insight into what George Town in Penang has to offer, we had a fantastic day of exploring. It was fantastic for keeping fit as well as discovering some amazing works by some very talented artists.
If you’re looking for another amazing experience in this cultural hub of a city – read our review on the Penang Upside Down Museum, it really does go to show that perspective is absolutely everything!