I have a teensy-weensy obsession with street art, and Malaysia has some of Asia’s finest outdoor galleries. From the murals of Kwai Chai Hong in KL’s Chinatown to the street art of Ipoh, this country knows how to turn a blank wall into a canvas.
A return visit to Penang allowed me to get stuck into where this movement began: George Town’s historic streets.
In 2012, George Town commissioned the Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic to create “living” exhibits throughout the city. Zacharevic’s genius lies in his interactive installations. Many incorporate real bicycles, swings and other props so visitors become part of the artwork rather than just photographing it.
In this guide, I’ll share my tips for exploring Penang’s street art, point you to my favourite murals, and give you my own map and walking trail. I’ve also included bonus artworks if you want to go further. There are 25 murals in total.
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My Top Tips for Exploring Street Art in Penang
Go early or go late
George Town’s murals are popular, and during peak hours you may find yourself jostling other photographers for the same angle. Set out before 9am or after 4pm for quieter streets, fewer people in your shots, and a break from the worst of the heat.
Most of my photos were taken early morning or late afternoon, when it was a joy to walk George Town’s relatively deserted streets. Between 11 am and 4 pm, it was a different story.
Choose your accommodation wisely
Base yourself in a hotel within George Town’s UNESCO World Heritage zone for the most murals within easy walking distance. I loved my stay at the East Indies Mansion in the heart of the historic centre.
Be realistic about what you’ll see
I’ve visited George Town twice and still haven’t seen every mural, and I’m fine with that.
Penang’s climate can be brutally hot, and some artworks are located quite far from the main clusters. Make it easy on yourself and concentrate on areas where you’ll get the best bang for your artistic buck.
The areas around Armenian Street (Lebuh Armenian) and Muntri and Chulia Streets (Lebuh Chulia/Lebuh Muntri) are where you’ll find the highest concentration of famous pieces.
I first visited in 2017 and returned in 2025, and the tropical climate has taken its toll on some murals in that time. A few have vanished altogether. That’s not a reason to skip Penang’s street art, but don’t expect pristine pieces.
Pick up the free map
This excellent free map, which features the better-known murals, is available at most hotels and tourist attractions. However, my guide goes beyond the artworks included in this map.
Don’t ignore the installations
George Town also has a collection of metal rod art installations, telling stories of local trades and history with wit. They won the pitch in the 2009 ‘Marking George Town’ initiative to to physically brand the historic area a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are more than fifty scattered through the city and they’re lit up at night, so again, pick a handful rather than trying to see them all.
Again, just pick a few rather than attempting to see them all (there are more than fifty scattered throughout the city). They are lit up at night.
Easy Penang Street Art Map + Trail
I’ve mapped a route between my top ten murals, which you can follow as a Penang street art trail. Click here for step-by-step directions and to send to your phone.
I’ve linked each mural’s location too. On maps, they’re listed by Malay or English name, which can be confusing at first, so here’s a quick explainer:
- Lebuh (Lbh) = Street
- Gat Lebuh = Street leading to water
- Lorong = Lane
- Jalan – Main road
Treat this trail as a loose framework frather than a fixed route. Art is scattered right through George Town, and you’ll spot pieces of your own as you walk. Send the map to your phone and start exploring.
1. Brother and Sister on Swing (Louis Gan)
This mural by local deaf artist Louis Gan pairs two painted children on an actual swing set, encapsulating the simple joy of childhood play (look at their wide grins). You can sit on the swing and become part of the artwork.
On my most recent visit, I had the privilege of watching the artist touch up his mural.
2. Old Soy Milk Stall, Step by Step Lane
A few steps from the swing mural, this nostalgic piece honours traditional trades that are slowly disappearing from George Town’s streets. It shows an elderly vendor handing bowls of soy milk to two delighted children.
3. I Want Bao (WK Sektor)
Another food-focused piece by Penang native WK Sektor celebrates one of Malaysia’s favourite snacks, and it’s no accident it sits by an area full of food stalls. It was commissioned by the adjacent Ming Xiang Tai Pastry Shop.
4. Kids on Bicycle (Ernest Zacharevic)
This is my first pick from the man who started it all, Ernest Zacharevic.
In one of Malaysia’s most recognisable and beloved public artworks, two children are having the time of their lives on a real bicycle mounted against the wall. Painted in 2012, this piece has become so iconic that it’s often used to represent Penang in tourism materials.
Just look at the little boy clinging on for dear life. I can’t decide whether he’s overjoyed or terrified.
5. Boy on Motorbike (Ernest Zacharevic)
Also from 2012, this is one of Zacharevic’s most photographed pieces in Penang, showing a boy leaning against a real vintage motorcycle. It draws queues of visitors wanting their photo astride the bike, so be prepared to wait your turn.
6. Happy Dog with Steak
Close to the motorbike mural, this carefree canine has a bit of a graffiti edge and I’ve never found out who painted it. It made me smile, and it’s a nice contrast to the more polished pieces nearby.
7. Teach You Hokkien (Jim Oo Chun Hee and John Cheng)
Hard to miss, this huge purple mural celebrates the Hokkien dialect spoken by Malaysia’s Chinese community, with a young boy declaring he can teach you Hokkien. When I first visited, the mural’s title sat in the speech bubble above his head. On my return, the words had gone..
8. Boy on Chair (Ernest Zacharevic)
A painted boy reaches towards a real chair fixed to the wall, another example of Zacharevic turning everyday objects into part of the scene. What do you think he’s reaching for?
9. Window Cat
If you’re a cat person, you’ll love this one. Tucked in a small alley across from the Boy on Chair, it creates the illusion of a cat peering from a real window, and the trompe l’oeil effect is so convincing that I did a double take the first time I saw it
10. The Indian Boatman (Julia Volchkova)
Painted in 2014 by Russian mural artist Julia Volchkova, who trained in the streets of St Petersburg, this piece marks the role Stewart Lane played in George Town’s maritime history, once home to the Hainanese Mariners Guild. The scale is remarkable, but it’s the concentration on the boatman’s weathered face that makes it for me.
More Penang Murals I Loved
Here’s my pick of the rest, arranged by geographic area.
AROUND ARMENIAN STREET (LEBUH ARMENIAN)
11. Window Cats
How cute are these feline figures peering from a window? I particularly love the red bow flourish and the wary look of the little’un peering over the window frame. And the level of detail is extraordinary.
12. The Cultural Girls | Wo Ai Nee
This diminutive mural represents Penang’s cultural diversity, its playful figures representing its Indian, Malay and Chinese heritage.
13. Procession Mural (Tang Yeok Khang)
Painted in 2022 by renowned Malaysian artist Tang Yeok Khang, this elaborate piece inside the clan house depicts Cheah Kongsi descendants marching through George Town to worship their deities. You’ll need to pay to enter the clan house to see it.
14. Men Holding the Wall
Every tourist destination worth its salt seems to have an Insta-worthy Umbrella Alley, and George Town is no exception. This lovely, if busy, lane has a few murals, but this piece was my favourite.
See if you can lend these two guys a hand.
AROUND MUNTRI STREET (LEBUH MUNTRI)
15. Little Girl in Blue (Ernest Zacharevic)
This enormous mural must have involved a lot of effort using scaffolding or ladders. I love the clever way Zacharevic has used the widow shutters; it looks like she is holding them to lower herself.
16. Trishaw Man (Ernest Zacharevic)
Time hasn’t been too kind to this Ernest Zacharevic creation, but it’s still a fabulous tribute to George Town’s famed trishaw drivers. Fittingly, it’s painted above the corner where many trishaw drivers congregate.
AROUND CHULIA STREET (LEBUH CHULIA)
17. Girl on a Turtle (Ernest Zacharevic and Martin Ron)
This whimsical piece is the result of a collaboration between Zacharevic and Argentinian artist Martin Ron. The girl appears to ride her turtle companion through George Town’s streets rather than ocean currents.
18. Tree Lady (Vexta)
This faded artwork blends human and natural elements, with branches and leaves flowing from the woman’s head. I couldn’t find out much about the mural, but I’ve read that it is by the Australian artist Vexta.
19. Hoola Hoop Basketball (Louis Gan)
This is a second Louis Gan mural in Penang, across the street from his more famous Brother and Sister on Swing. It has an infectious energy, and I love the look of joy on the girl’s face.
20. Free Hugs
Love Lane is one of George Town’s most photogenic streets, its former brothels and traditional Chinese shop houses now boutique hotels, hostels and hipster cafes. Its walls are decorated with a few murals, but this was my favourite.
AROUND VICTORIA STREET (LEBUH VICTORIA)
21. Love Me Like Your Fortune Cat
The “real” cat in the centre of this composition is so lifelike, but it’s the story behind this mural that gets me. It is part of the 101 Lost Kittens initiative, hatched by a group of artists who collaborated on a dozen street artworks across George Town’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. It aimed to increase awareness of rehoming stray animals.
Sadly, one of the project’s most famous pieces, The Real Bruce Lee Would Never Do This, is so badly damaged that it is no longer visible. The same goes for Skippy Comes to Penang. RIP Skippy
NEAR THE BOY ON MOTORBIKE MURAL
22. Little Boy With Pet Dinosaur
This Zacharevic mural of a young lad trying to control his unusual pet is next to the Boy on a Motorbike. Sadly, time has not been kind to it.
23. Man With Malaysian Flag Shirt
A simple, patriotic piece celebrating national identity through the country’s colours.
CHEW JETTY
24. Folklore by the Sea
I’ve spent happy hours wandering around George Town’s jetties, the seven piers belonging to the Chinese families, or clans, that settled in here. This playful piece near the end of Chew Jetty neatly connects George Town’s street art movement with their maritime traditions.
PENANG HILL
25. Malay Boy (Andha Ras)
You’ll find my final piece of Penang street art not in George Town, but in The Habitat on Penang Hill, where I spent a day taking in the views, walking the trails and riding one of the world’s oldest funiculars. This artwork of a Malay boy in a Baju Melayu is a tribute to Penang Hill Mosque, which sits alongside the Sri Aruloli Thirumurugan temple, a nod to the island’s multi-faith culture.
Ready to explore street art in George Town?
Whether you’re an art enthusiast or simply want to fill in a spare hour or so, George Town’s murals are an accessible entry point into Malaysian culture, history and creativity that shouldn’t be missed. Add it to your Malaysia itinerary.
About Bridget
Bridget Coleman has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.
Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.
To get in touch, email her at hello@theflashpacker.net or follow her on social media.