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Lisa Marie
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31 March 2025
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Nestled in the heart of Georgetown, Penang, history meets modernity in the most colorful of ways. One of the city’s most charming features is its vibrant street art scene which has transformed the historic streets into an open-air gallery. From playful murals that tell stories of the city’s past to contemporary pieces that challenge and inspire, Georgetown’s Street art is a celebration of creativity and expression.
As you wander through the narrow lanes and alleys, you’ll find yourself immersed in a world where every wall, doorway and corner has a story to tell. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler, an art lover like me or someone simply looking to experience the unique charm of Georgetown, exploring its street art is a journey you won’t want to miss.
In this blog post I will guide you through some of the must-see street art and hidden gems that make Georgetown a true artistic treasure. You will find beautiful murals and steel rod sculptures by several different artists including Ernest Zacharevic, Louis Gan and Julian “Lefty” Kam.
“The brother & sister playing basketball”
This mural was painted by Louis Gan. It is a beautiful, lively painting showing the innocent joy of children playing.
Tip: It is located down a narrow side street off Chulia street close by a second of Louis’s paintings “The children on a swing”.
"Children on a swing"
The children on a swing mural is another created by Louis Gan. This beautiful painting on an old wall shows a brother and sister enjoying the swing. The painting was commissioned by the wall’s owner, portraying his young children. This painting is extremely popular for photos as it has two swings mounted in front of it so you can interact and be a part of it. Louis used permanent acrylic paints for this and the “brother and sister playing basketball’ mural. He was heavily criticized for not using water-based paints and not getting the required approval from the authorities. He was very upset by this and cancelled plans for future projects that had already been planned and commissioned.
Tip: The "children on a swing" is located down a narrow side street of Chulia street.
Street art in Penang is a relatively new phenomenon that is not even two decades old. Although the faded murals on rundown buildings would have you thinking otherwise. In 2009 the Penang state government ran a competition “marking Georgetown” calling for creative ways to make use of public spaces. The winning idea by Sculpture at work with the creative direction of local artist Tang Mun Kian resulted in 52 steel rod sculptures. Their theme was “voices of the people”, a retelling of Penang history by Penang characters with their own peculiar sense of humor and wit.
“Cannon Hole” located on Cannon street
This is one of the most photographed art pieces and is quite funny. Here you see a person falling into a cannon hole and disappearing into the ground while the rickshaw driver looks on surprised. “Cannon Hole” sheds light on a riot between rival secret societies in 1867. Cannons were fired into the street near where this art piece is today making a big hole in the ground. Hence where the street got its name. If you look closely, you can still see bullet holes in the walls of the surrounding houses.
The “Win Win Situation” by Julian ‘Lefty’ Kam
This art piece is located in the Muntri Street area of Georgetown which got its name after the ruler (or Orang Kaya Mantri) of Larut, a district in Malaysia. Muntri street was the commercial trading link between the ruler of Larut and the Chinese traders of Penang who controlled the mining and smelting of tin ore. In this art piece you can see a happy Chinese trader called Tauke on the left and greeting the ruler of Larut, Orang Kaya before making their trade.
In 2012 Ernest Zacharevic was commissioned to paint a series of murals throughout Georgetown which he titled "Mirrors Georgetown". This was in conjunction with the 2012 Georgetown festival celebration. The murals he created were inspired by the ordinary, everyday people of Penang. He captured the lively spirit of the city through fun and interactive scenes. These charming and interesting murals transformed the normal streets of Penang into lively, playful and vibrant areas in the city, that attracted more tourists and visitors to these areas.
"The boy and his motorbike"
This wall painting is one of my favourites and one I highly recommend you take the time to visit. The story behind the old motorbike that was used in this mural is an intriguing one. Ernest found it in Love Lane, abandoned by a German tourist who drove it from Vietnam to Penang. It is an old vintage Minsk motorbike made in the Republic of Belarus. Over the years people have restored it with a new handle, seat, fuel tank and lamp.
Tip: "The boy and his motorbike" is located at Ah Quee street. Just next to his mural you will find another one titled "little boy with pet dinosaur". Sadly, this mural has faded a lot over the years and part of it has completely gone as the concrete below has eroded over the years.
"The boy on a chair"
"The boy on a chair" mural is sweet and innocent. As the boy stretches to reach the jar above him, you can almost here the wooden chair creaking. Compared to other murals Ernest painted in 2012 this one is not as faded since it is located underneath a roof, preserving it nicely.
Tip: "The boy on the chair" is located on Cannon street.
"Kids on a bicycle"
This is Ernests' most famous and popular mural. It has become quite the tourist attraction with long waiting lines of people trying to take a photo and get a selfie. The painting is beautiful and brought to life using an actual bicycle integrated into it. In november 2013 the "kids on a bicycle" mural was nominated as one of the world's Top 15 wall paintings by The Guardian newspaper (UK).
Tip: The 'kids on a bicycle" mural is located on Armenian street.
"Kung Fu Girl"
Another fantastic mural by Ernest is the "kung fu girl". The model for the kung fu girl was apparently an 8 year old student at an art school. The size of the mural is impressive as is the incorporation of the windows along with the details Ernest captured bringing the image to life.
Tip: "Kung fu girl" is located on Muntri street near the camera museum and not far from the popular cat cafe.
Since Ernests' street murals were a great success, he was also commissioned the following year for the 2013 Georgetown festival. His next project was called "101 lost kittens" where he wanted to bring attention to the issue of stray animals in Penang, especially stray cats of which there are a lot of in Georgetown.
When the murals were finished there was not much information given to their whereabouts. Instead, people were encouraged to go out and search for them during the festival. It was launched as a treasure hunt and children were able to participate by creating their own kitten art. It was very popular and a great success. People learned something new about the city and walked down lanes and alleyways they might not have ever walked before.
The "101 lost kittens" art project gained a lot of attention on both social media and across international press. It was a fantastic way to promote Penang, especially Georgetown, attracting even more visitors to the island.
The series consists of 1 2 murals with a common theme, protecting the animals, particularly the strays living a tough life on the streets. Here are some of the "101 lost kittens" I came across on my visit to Georgetown.
"The real Bruce Lee would never do this"
Sadly, this mural is a bit difficult to see as it has faded a lot since it was first painted in 2013. It has an important message though "do NOT harm animals in any way".
Tip: "The real Bruce Lee would never do this" is located at the back alley to Lebuh Ah Quee Street.
"Love me like your fortune cat"
This mural connects the popular fortune cats with a real cat. It is beautifully painted and hasn't faded as much as some of the other murals. You can see the details and colors are well preserved.
Tip: "Love me like your fortune cat" can be found on Armenian street.
Other street artists got inspired by Ernests "101 Lost kittens" project and created their own cat inspired murals and sculptures which can be found dotted around Cannon street and surrounding alleyways.
Aside from street art there is a new initiative that has opened called "art lane". This once run down shop house has been transformed into a creative space for young artists to showcase their passion and skills. This beautiful space is the brainchild of the restaurant come gallery China House just a few doors away. Taking a walk through this space you will not only find murals but sketches of cartoons and comic characters, knick knacks made up of recycled items and inspirational quotes decorating the walls.
Another art space worth checking out is the Hin Bus Depot art center. This old abandoned bus depot was transformed into a community art space which houses a gallery where you will find exhibitions by different artists, studios, start-ups and cool cafes.
Every sunday there is a pop up market which is worth checking out if you are in Georgetown over a weekend. You will find some cool and unique things made by local artists including jewelry, clothes, handbags, sweets, art and toys. You will also find vendors selling delicious food, snacks and drinks.
And of course you will find one of Ernest Zacharevic's murals here amongst many others throughout the grounds.
The best way to see the street art is to simply walk around. Grab a copy of the free "Marking Georgetown" guide from the local tourist office or your hotel and go explore. If you don't feel like walking around, you can get trickshaw ride for around RM30 which is about €6, and they will take you to the most famous street art.
Georgetown’s art scene is constantly evolving with new pieces emerging to surprise locals and tourists alike. As you wrap up your journey through Georgetown, take a moment to appreciate the creativity and passion that has transformed this city into a global art destination. And remember the beauty of street art lies in its transience, so there will always be something new to discover. Whether it’s your first visit or your tenth, Georgetown’s streets will always have a fresh story to tell. And I can’t wait to explore the narrow streets and alleys once again to see what other hidden gems I can discover.
"Traditional rickshaw vendor" located in an alley off of Armenian Street
Tip: With so much to find and admire it can easily take a day. So, my advice would be to pick out the ones you really want to see and start early in the morning. The murals get very busy with tourists all wanting that instagram picture, so the earlier you start the better. Otherwise you will be waiting in line with 40 other people trying to get that "picture".
Which one is your favorite street art mural? Let me know in the comments & let’s go explore!
Happy Travels!
