Apart from the street arts along Armenian Street, a popular walking street for tourists in Penang, there are more murals around Georgetown. And unlike the smaller old towns of Ipoh and Malacca, Georgetown is a much larger town to be searching for street arts. It is not possible to locate all of them without spending days to comb through every streets, alleys and corners. Not only that, there are also murals outside of Georgetown, such as in Balik Pulau and Butterworth.
Let's start with the artworks along Lebuh Ah Quee, being the closest lane to Armenian Street.
1. Boy with Pet Dinosaur & Boy on a Motorcycle
The "Boy with Pet Dinosaur" and "Boy on a Motorcycle" murals, although located side by side on the same wall, are usually interpreted as two different artworks. But, to me, they tell a more wholesome story when put together: a boy is trying to hold back his fierce pet dinosaur while another boy is running away from it on a motorcycle.
These two murals are the works of Ernest Zacharevic, a Lithuanian artist. He created the murals in 2012 and had touched up and repaired his own works couple of times to keep them in good shapes over the last 5 years.
Find articles with Ernest Zacharevic's artworks.
2. Fire-Minion
This minion has 3 sirens on his head and calling through a loudhailer. Standing besides a fire hydrant, the minion seems more like a fireman — I mean "fire-minion".
3. Stop the Smog
Those extinguished cigarettes are not paintings, they are tubes protruding from the walls and painted to look like cigarettes. The mural was vandalised and crudely patched.
And continuing to Gat Lebuh Chulia (Chulia Street)...
4. Firemen
This mural can be found outside the Central Fire Station at the intersection between Beach Street and Chulia Street.
5. Chinese Minion
The "Chinese Minion" mural was originally painted over a graffiti-filled iron door. The door was later dismantled and mounted on the current wall.
6. Soy Milk Stall
The "Soy Milk Stall" is another artwork sponsored by Homesoy and Vilmedia. The mural is supposedly 3D, but a real bench under the crossed-legs girl and a real bicycle wheel beside the stall are gone. Nevertheless, the painting is still intact.
If you have followed our travel articles, you will find a similar artwork on local-made soy milk in Ipoh old town. Collect both artworks if you can.
7. Children on a Swing
"Children on a Swing" uses a real swing. Only the two kids are painted. Go and swing with them.
Next, we move slightly further to Lorong Stewart and Jalan Muntri.
8. White Tiger
This large mural of a white tiger is on the outer wall of Tipsy Tiger Party Hostel, which is both an inexpensive bar and hostel for backpackers.
9. The Boatman
"The Boatman" mural is the masterwork of Julia Volchkova, a Siberian artist. Julia has several large murals throughout Malaysia.
I actually missed Julia's "Old Indian Woman under a Tree" mural along Lorong Lumut in Penang. But I have seen another famous artwork of hers in Muar, the "Loving Sisters".
Julia Volchkova has quite a number of masterpieces in Balik Pulau too.
10. Kungfu Girl in Blue
This mural is another work by Ernest Zacharevic along Jalan Muntri. This is one of the two large murals by Ernest in Georgetown. He used the two windows to "support" the girl.
11. Man Waiting on Trishaw
The other giant mural by Ernest.
12. Ban Heang Pastry
This mural can be found outside Ban Heang Pastry Shop (万香饼家), along Lebuh Campbell. This is another example of using arts to promote the shop.
13. Loving Couple on a Bicycle
A new mural that was being painted while I was in Penang on 8th July 2017. But I can't recall its exact location. I was walking from Jalan Penang to Armenian Street.
Location Map
There are many more murals around Georgetown and in Balik Pulau on Penang Island. Do plan more days if you intend to hunt for all of them.
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