If you are an art enthusiast, urban scene lover or traveller in general, and you are considering visiting Georgetown, Penang, then you might already know about their fantastic street scene; if you have not heard of it then be prepared for an inevitable wonderful encounter.
Joyous depictions of Penangite's culture
Turn around a street corner to find this...
There are numerous ways in which you can explore, connect and experience Georgetown's colourful urban art. You may find lists online (suggesting the larger or more popular pieces), you can also grab a map from a hotel, restaurant or store and simply follow the trail, if you are not much of a "planning type"; do not fear, you can simply follow your path and the art will follow.
Seriously, it does not matter where you go, you will see murals, big, small, three dimensional interactive ones, tiny ones, funny, political, colourful, welded, black and white, playful, stencilled, honestly even if you were purposefully avoiding street art... you will inevitably see a lot of it.
Join these siblings by jumping on the bike!
The story behind Georgetown's street art.
After gaining UNESCO World Heritage Site recognition in 2009, the state government held a competition for artists to create signs for relevant historic streets or sites, what they called a "living museum". The winners of this competition "Sculptures at Work" created 52 welded steel caricature scenes portraying historic sites and ways of life (you will see these mainly on street corners, giving you a brief description of historical significance).
Cat lovers paradise!
A few years later in 2012, Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic was commissioned to create large-scale murals for the George Town Arts & Culture Festival, Zacharevic's work portrayed the island's culture so accurately, his murals soon became world famous and other artists naturally followed.
Unassuming little suburban side street.
These days, tourists and locals line up to snap a shot at some of the most popular ones (mainly ones in which you can become part of the mural itself) people do all sorts of creative poses, group photos or solo shots.
Georgetown's street art exploring is a great way to see some strong talent whilst simultaneously experiencing Penangite culture, food, coffee and chaotic colourfulness.
For more great urban art in Georgetown please read "
Art Lane", also a great spot to visit!
