The Art & Architecture of George Town, Penang

I never expected to see such a diverse selection of street art during our visit to Penang. Around every corner and down every alley was something unexpected and inspiring to see. The street art here isn’t just graffiti covered walls and political statements, that seem to be the norm nowadays.  Instead you’ll find a creative narrative illustrating Penang’s past, present and future. All of which are beautifully conceptualized by a bevy of international and local artists. 

Sure you can spot the popular works by Ernest Zacharevic (probably the artist with the most famous artworks in Penang) a mile away. His art graces the sides of large buildings, or just look for the long queues of travelers waiting to take pictures. Appreciate the popular pieces, but don't forget to look further. You'll find so many paintings ranging from daily life to Thai Boxing cats and countless sculptures depicting Penangs' past - all hidden in plain sight. 

Sure there are plenty of tours you can take, but we decided to venture out on our own and see what we could find. We downloaded this map and loaded our GPS with the sites we wanted to see. We spent several hours strolling through the streets and photographing our way around George Town.