10 Penang Street Art Murals Worth Tracking Down

The Murals That Changed George Town

In 2012, the George Town Festival commissioned Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic to paint a series of interactive murals in the UNESCO Heritage Zone. The murals were designed to interact with the existing architecture — a real bicycle propped against a painted boy, children on a painted swing using an actual swing bar.

The result changed how George Town presented itself globally. The murals went viral on social media, brought international attention to the heritage zone, and triggered a wave of street art commissions that continue today.

The Original Zacharevic Murals

1. Boy on Bicycle — 85 Lebuh Armenian The most photographed image in Penang. A boy on a real bicycle, painted riding along the wall.

2. Children on Bicycle — 85 Lebuh Armenian (adjacent) Two children riding together, painted on the wall of the same street.

3. Kids on Swing — Corner of Lebuh Armenian and Lorong Love Two children on a swing attached to the actual wall. The installation element — real rope, real swing bar — is what makes it more than a painting.

4. Little Children on Chairs — 83 Armenian Street An oil-painting style work. Two small children reaching for a window ledge.

5. Brother and Sister on Motorcycle — Lebuh Ah Quee A boy steering a real motorcycle (propped there), girl on the back looking nonchalant.

6. Catching the Last Bus — Lebuh Penang More painterly, depicts a local scene of rushing for a bus. Less well-known than the others.

Post-Zacharevic Murals Worth Seeing

7. The Steel and Wire Sculptures (various locations) A series of cartoon-style steel rod sculptures depicting Penang's street life and trades.

8. Cat Mural Row (various streets, New Lane area) Several cat-themed murals clustered together; more playful than the Zacharevic work.

9. Indian Street Murals (Lebuh King) Near Little India, a series of murals depicting Tamil culture and the community's contribution to Penang's history.

10. Wall Murals at Chew Jetty The clan jetty community has several murals depicting fishing life and Hokkien Chinese migration history.

How to See Them All

Walk from Fort Cornwallis west along Lebuh Armenia, then north to Lorong Love. The densest cluster of Zacharevic murals is within a 10-minute walk. Allow 2–3 hours for a full street art walk.

The George Town Heritage Trail has a free street art map available at the visitor centre on Lebuh Pantai.

Photography note: Morning light (7–9am) is best on most Armenian Street murals as they face east. By midday the shadows are harsh.