Photo Essay: Street Art of George Town
My desire to visit this city in Malaysia I knew nothing about was all sparked by just one random photo of a street mural that popped up when I was searching for cheap flights in Southeast Asia, as one does. I remember thinking “oh, that seems like my kind of place”. George Town is famous for its street art and for good reason. Many of the installations you’ll find interact with the already existing architecture of the buildings and some murals involve real physical objects. Think the famous “Boy on a Bike” mural that depicts a painting of a young boy watching passerby’s with a real motorbike propped up against the painting to make it look like he’s actually sitting on it. The murals and iron wrought sculptures you’ll find all over the UNESCO World Heritage site are installed in their specific locations for historical reason. For instance, the sculpture honoring the famous shoe designer, Jimmy Choo, is located on the side of the building where he started his apprenticeship.
So how did George Town become a famous hub for street art in the first place? The thriving port city went into decline after their free trade port status was revoked in 1969 and many residents were left unemployed. A group of conservationists wanted to preserve the multicultural city’s heritage and started to gain support in restoring the city to it’s former glory. In 2008 George Town was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the government wanted to start an initiative that would officially put George Town on the tourist map.
The city started an art competition they named “The Marking of George Town” and the Sculpture at Work company based in Kuala Lumpur wins with their idea of wrought iron caricatures that tell the stories of the people who make up the Peranakan culture that is very uniquely George Town. You’ll find a total of 52 of these adorable and comical sculptures all over the city and each one is sure to give you a glimpse into the truly deep history that resides there. Not to mention bring a cheesy grin to your face as you try to figure out what’s going on in the mess of metal.
The street art craze in George Town really began when Lithuanian artist, Ernest Zacharevic, was commissioned to bring his own artistic style to the streets for the annual George Town Festival in 2012. He completed a total of seven murals for the project known as Mirror George Town and he paved the way for many local and international artists to leave their own mark on the city in the years to come. It’s hard to imagine the street art in George Town is a relatively new feature of the city but, for better or for worse, the capital city of Penang has never been the same since.
The whole city is truly a work of art in and of itself. From the intricate details of the windows on the traditional Chinese shophouses to the icy desserts piled high with bright colored jellies and neon pink syrup. The whole city is just pulsating with life and color. I couldn’t get very far walking down the street before I would have to stop to admire mint green floor tiles or a group of women standing in line for laksa all huddled together holding rainbow umbrellas against the backdrop of a dark grey sky. It’s the most colorful city I’ve ever traveled and I’ve been dreaming of the decaying walls and hawker stalls ever since. I highly recommend getting around George Town by foot and wandering down all the alleyways and random streets that call to you as you will discover a seemingly endless amount of artwork and architecture to to gush over. I didn’t set out each day with a list of murals I wanted to see, I just started walking which meant every work of art I discovered was unexpected and that made it so much more enjoyable. This city absolutely stole my heart.
