Street Art in George Town
Before I visited Penang, everyone told me that the street art in George Town was an absolute must see! We only had an afternoon dedicated to the beautiful street art so stayed in the centre. However, there is so much more on the outskirts of George Town if you have the time.
The main streets we visited were Lebuh Chulia, Lebuh Armenian, Lebuh Cannon and Lebuh Ah Quee which are within 15 minutes of each other. Google is pretty good at picking up locations when you type in the name of the mural.
George Town became a UNESCO Heritage Site in 2008 and tourism has increased ever since. George Town has become infamous for its street art, which has grown year on year since the 2012 George Town Festival when Ernest Zacharevic was commissioned to paint six murals as part of the festival.
The street art has brought George Town alive with vibrant murals reflecting the family life of the locals. Some of the paintings / murals feature physical objects for a more interactive experience.
Lebuh Armenian
Love Me Like Your Fortune Cat is one of the murals painted by the Artists for Stray Animals and is one of several cat related murals in George Town.
Skippy Comes to Penang is another mural created by Artists for Stray Animals. Sadly, Skippy passed away recently but the mural remains as her legacy.
I Want Bao is a mural by WK Setor where the children are reaching out for their favourite treat – a bao bun!
Little Children on a Bicycle is one of the original pieces of street art in George Town designed by Ernest Zacharevic. The mural shows a little girl taking her younger brother on bicycle with beaming smiles on their faces!
Lebuh Ah Quee
Little boy with pet dinosaur from Ernest Zacharevic is a funny mural depicting a small boy taking his large dinosaur for a walk!
Boy on a motorbike has been a staple street art mural since 2012 and is another from Ernest Zacharevic. This is more interactive as you can sit on the back of the motorbike (which is real!).
Lebuh Chulia
Brother and Sister on a Swing is a popular mural painted by artist Louis Gan. Again, an interactive painting where you can join the children on the swing!
Children playing basketball is the second street mural painting by artist Louis Gan.
Soya milk stall was created by a school and soy milk company and shows children reaching out for the bowls of soy milk from the friendly woman.
Just off Lebuh Armenian there is a small side alley donned with umbrellas and more street art. There was no road name I could see, so keep your eyes peeled. You will find murals of a street market seller, two men pushing a door and a woman lighting incense sticks.
Lebuh Cannon
Boy on chair reaching up – this mural is another famous piece by Ernest Zacharevic which he painted during the 2012 Georgetown Festival and shows a little boy reaching for a hole in the wall.
Cat in a Blue Window – tucked in just off this street is this wide eyed beautiful cat staring out the window.
East London Girl: Street Art in George Town
You may also be interested in the following blog posts on Penang:
