One of the most fun and most meaningful things I had done during this trip was to explore the massive collection of Penang Street Art. Even though I managed to see almost a hundred of them, there were still lots that I had missed out.
That just gives me another reason to return to Penang again, haha.
I would say Penang street art is one of the main tourist attractions of the island. These art works that grace the walls of George Town do not just offer aesthetic pleasure but each of them actually tells a story. About Penang. About Malaysia. Its history, people, culture and food.
Grab a copy of the official Penang Street Art Map
In case you don’t know, Penang has an official map that marks out the locations of 67 street art murals. You can see the pdf version here on the official Penang tourism website. Or just pop over to the Tourist Information Centre on Beach Street (Lebuh Pantai) to grab a physical copy.
In this post, I will list out all the 67 street art murals that were featured on the official map and another 34 which were not. That makes this collection a massive one with 101 art works!
The best way to explore Penang’s George Town is by foot. So bring along a copy of the map and start hunting now!
Penang Street Art (on the official map)
1. Shorn Hair
Barbers used to operate here. The shorn hair was then swept into the Prangin canal.
Location: Jalan Sungai Ujong
2. Labourer To Trader
The early convict labourers were reputed to have built most of the government buildings in Penang. Some ex-convicts became petty traders and were the core group who started the Chowrasta Market.
Location: Jalan Chowrasta
3. Kopi O’ Kau!
Kopi O Kau is a thick, strong black coffee in local terms.
Location: Lebuh Kimberley
4. Happy Hour
Transfer Road is named after the event of the transfer of Straits Settlement from Indian office to colonial office in Singapore in 1867. It resulted in a more efficient administration and an era of great prosperity of the crown colonies.
Location: Jalan Transfer
5. Mr Five Foot Way
Five foot way were meant to protect pedestrians from the hot tropical sun and rain. With the influx of immigrants, work increasingly became hard to find. Many of the old and unemployed thus began using these corridors to set up small businesses instead. The Hokkiens began calling these ‘gho ka ki’ or ‘five foot way’ trades.
Location: Jalan Transfer
6. Spy
In the early 20th century, the slightly trisque reputation of this area was further enhanced by the presence of Japanese camera shops, which were suspected of covert spying activities.
Location: Lorong Kampung Malabar
7. Same Taste, Same Look
Here, you can find traditional Chinese Cantonese restaurants that serve up dim sum.
Location: Lebuh Cintra
8. Three Generations
Kimberley Street is famous for its hawker food. Some stalls have been here for over 3 generations.
Location: Jalan Sungai Ujong
9. Rope Style
Rope Walk was named after the rope making activities on the street.
Location: Jalan Pintai Tali
10. Retail Paradise
Campbell Street is Penang’s Fifth Avenue, a retail paradise where shoppers can stroll along the row of shophouses and feast their eyes on an array of goods.
Location: Lebuh Campbell
11. Ting Ting Thong
Seck Chuan Lane was a distribution centre for market produce. Many itinerant hawkers took advantage of the crowds by plying their foods here. One of the favourite foods sold is ting ting thong or rock candy, a hardened mixture of sugar, sesame seeds, and nuts loved by kids. It has to be ‘Chiselled’ and ‘Hammered’ to break it into smaller biteable pieces.
Location: Lorong Seck Chuan
12. High Counter
The counter of the pawnshop is typically higher for security.
Location: Lebuh Carnarvon
13. Cheating Husband
The local Chinese say the rich men who lived on Muntri Street kept their mistresses here, hence the name ‘Ai Cheng Hang’ or Love Lane.
Location: Love Lane
14. Budget Hotels
At the turn of the last century, many shophouses were turned into cheap hotels, making this internationally-known tourist strip very popular with backpackers.
Location: Love Lane
15. Rotan
Rotan refers to the rattan cane. This mother is holding her child’s report card. The kid must have done poorly in his exam so the mum is about to cane him.
Location: Lebuh Chulia
16. Jimmy Choo
This is the place where the famous shoe designer, Jimmy Choo, started his apprenticeship.
Location: Lebuh Leith
Image source: https://mypenang.gov.my/
17. Win Win Situation
Muntri Street was named after The Orang Kaya Menteri of Larut, Perak, Ngah Ibrahim. The tin merchants of Penang worked very closely with Ngah Ibrahim as Larut District was one of the major suppliers of tin at the time.
Location: Lebuh Muntri
18. One Leg Kicks All
The ‘Black and White’ Amahs were Cantonese domestic servants from Guangdong who did all kinds of household chores, and would refer to themselves with wry humour as ‘’Yat Keok Tet’’ (One Leg Kicks All).
Location: Lebuh Muntri
19. Narrowest Five Foot Way
The ‘Five Foot Way’ of Wan Hai Hotel is said to be the narrowest in Penang.
Location: Lorong Stewart
20. Beca
Locally known as ‘beca’. Most of the trishaw paddlers also doubled as tourist guides.
Location: Lorong Chulia
21. Mahjong
Mahjong (The game of sparrows) is a favourite pastime for the elderly.
Location: Lorong Stewart
22. Temple Day
During the first and fifteenth day of every lunar month, the Goddess of Mercy Temple is packed with devotees seeking divine guidance.
Location: Lorong Muda
23. Wrong Tree
Also called toddy or palm wine, tuak is an alcoholic beverage made from underdeveloped flower of coconut palm. The collecting and market for tuak was entirely an Indian affair with the majority of its drinkers being Indian labourers.
Location: Lorong Pasar
24. Brother And Sister On Swing
“Brother and Sister on Swing” is a wall mural of two young children, a boy and a girl, standing on a swing.
Location: Gat Lebuh Chulia
25. Children Playing Basketball
The “Children Playing Basketball” wall mural is painted by local artist Louis Gan.
Location: Gat Lebuh Chulia
26. Love Me Like Your Fortune Cart
“Love Me Like Your Fortune Cat” is one of the murals painted by ASA, Artists for Stray Animals in George Town, Penang. Fortune cats are cat figurines that are supposed to bring good luck and are usually displayed near the entrance of shops and businesses.
Location: Gat Lebuh Armenian
27. Please Care & Bathe Me
“Please Care & Bathe Me” is one of the murals painted by ASA, Artists for Stray Animals, in George Town, Penang. It shows two little kittens that have been abandoned.
Location: Gat Lebuh Armenian
28. Skippy
Skippy is a giant cat mural that was painted in conjunction with George Town Festival 2013.
Location: Gat Lebuh Armenian
29. Old Motorcycle
The “Old Motorcycle” mural on Lebuh Ah Quee is painted by Ernest Zacharevic, a young Lithuania-born artist.
Location: Lebuh Ah Quee
30. The Real Bruce Lee Would Never Do This
“The Real Bruce Lee Would Never Do This” is one of the murals painted by ASA, Artists for Stray Animals, in George Town, Penang for the 101 Lost Kittens project.
Location: Lebuh Ah Quee
31. Kids on Bicycle
The “Kids on Bicycle” mural located at Lebuh Armenian is painted by Ernest Zacharevic, a young Lithuania-born artist.
Location: Lebuh Armenian
32. Cats & Humans Happily Living Together
“Cats & Humans Happily Living Together” is a mural created by ASA, Artists for Stray Animals, in George Town, Penang. In this mural, people are replaced by cats carrying banners, lanterns and religious items.
Location: Lebuh Armenian (inside Cheah Kongsi)
33. No Animal Discrimination Please
“No Animal Discrimination Please” is one of the murals painted by ASA, Artists for Stray Animals, in George Town, Penang.
Location: Lebuh Armenian
34. Boy On Chair
“Boy on Chair” is a mural located along Lebuh Cannon. The boy standing on a chair and inching himself to reach as high as he can.
Location: Lebuh Cannon
35. Child Mural At Prangin Canal
Russian artist Julia Volchkova painted this black and white mural, inspired by a photograph taken in Indonesia by her friend.
Location: Prangin Canal
36. Trishaw Man
Trishaws used to be a popular mode of transport in the olden days in Penang. The location for this trishaw mural resembles the trishaw riders’ waiting area near the Cititel Hotel.
Location: Jalan Penang
37. Kungfu Girl
Kungfu Girl is a giant mural of a girl trying to lift herself up with both her hands on the window.
Location: Lebuh Muntri
38. The Indian Boatman
This is the second mural painted by Russian artist Julia Volchkova during her brief trip in Penang. Her first mural is ‘Child Mural At Prangin Canal’ on Prangin Canal.
Location: Lebuh Klang
39. Too Hot
The famous Weld Quay was the birthplace of Kelinga Mee, a spicy Indian noodle dish created to whet the appetites of sailors and port workers.
Location: Pengkalan Weld
40. Too Salty
The Tamils refer to this street as Uppukaran Teru or Salt Traders Street, a reference to the salt trading activities.
Location: Jalan Green Hall
41. Bullock Cart Wheel
In the days when your money could be as ‘big as a bullock cart wheel’, this was a popular rest stop for the limousines of the time.
Location: Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling
42. Gold Tooth
The traditional Indian goldsmith sat cross-legged on a floor mat, bent over a small bench to work. Their work demanded patience, creativity and skill.
Location: Lebuh Queen
43. Quiet Please
To the dismay of parishioners of the Portuguese church there. Church Street also housed the headquarters of the notorious Ghee Hin secret society.
Location: Lebuh Gereja
44. Untrained Parakeet
Parrot astrologers were Indian fortune tellers, who used green parakeets to foretell a person’s future.
Location: Lebuh King
45. Gedung Rumpat
While its royal English name sounds very grand, it’s also locally known as “Gedung Rumput” or Grass Godown, with bullock carts being parked along this wide street.
Location: Lebuh Queen
46. Tok Tok Mee
Tok tok mee is so called because hawkers would strike a ‘tok tok’ sound to signal their presence.
Location: Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling/Lebuh China
47. Roti Benggali
Roti Benggali came from the word Penggali (‘shareholders’ in Tamil).
Location: Lebuh King
48. Duck
Also known as “Chicken Alley”, this lane was once used by poulterers.
Location: Lorong Che Em
49. Property
In the 1800’s, shops and godowns on Victoria Street were built at the seafront.
Location: Lebuh Victoria
50. “Yeoh” Only
Yeoh Kongsi was established in 1836 to look after the welfare of the newly arrived Yeoh clansmen.
Location: Gat Lebuh Chulia
51. Double Role
Up until 1909, the police doubled as George Town’s firefighters.
Location: Gat Lebuh Chulia
Image source: https://mypenang.gov.my/
52. Main Street
Chulia Street was one of the main streets laid out by Captain Francis Light. Today, it is known as “Backpackers” main street.
Location: Lebuh Chulia
53. Ah Quee?
The street is named after Kapitan Chung Keng Kwee who generously donated his house to the Municipality for vehicular access ensuring that his name lives on for posterity.
Location: Lebuh Ah Quee
54. Kandar
Nasi Kandar originated from Tamil Muslims, hawking home cooked curry dishes and rice from containers slung on both ends of a Kandar (wooden stick).
Location: Lebuh Ah Quee
55. Too Narrow
The hand-pulled rickshaw was the most popular form of transportation in early Penang.
Location: Lorong Soo Hong
56. Procession
The Tua Pek Kong Hneoh Grand Float Procession is held in the Year of the Tiger to wash away bad luck and bring great wealth and health.
Location: Lebuh Armenian
57. Then & Now
The Hokkiens called this street Par Thang Ah Kay or Coppersmith’s Street, a reference to the early Malay orazlery making brass and copper wares.
Location: Lebuh Armenian
58. Cannon Hole
A cannon shot fired during the 1867 Penang riots made a large hole in this area, hence the name.
Location: Lebuh Cannon
59. Born Novelist
The birthplace of Ahmad Rashid Talu, the first to write an original Malay novel with local setting and local characters.
Location: Lorong Lumut
60. Limousine
This was the place to go for Chinese books, stationery, coffins and paper effigies. All the pleasures of the material world can be reproduced in paper and burnt as gifts for the hereafter.
Location: Lorong Carnarvon
61. Cow & Fish
Not only were hapless cows bred and slaughtered here but you could also smell the fish hung out to dry.
Location: Lebuh Melayu/Lorong Ikan
62. No Plastic Bag
A petty-trading neighbourhood, where you can find activities such as drying of salted fish and basket weaving.
Location: Lebuh Prangin
63. Waterway
Prangin River was a bustling waterway for all manner of goods that were shipped to Penang from all over the world.
Location: Gat Jalan Prangin
64. Chingay
The Penang Chinese first performed Chingay in 1919 during deity processions. Today, the art has evolved to become a unique multi-racial performance.
Location: Gat Jalan Prangin
65. Ironsmith
The striking of the lone ironsmith’s hammer can still be heard along the street where once every tool had to be fashioned by heat and hand, not machines.
Location: Lorong Toh Aka
66. Escape
This old Acehnese godown was originally a jail building already extant in 1805 – hence the thick walls and small windows.
Location: Lebuh Acheh
67. Haj Pilgrimage
Much of the traffic of pilgrims to and from Muslim Holy Land for the haj went through Acheh Street, where tickets for the trip were sold. Shopping was also a favourite activity for both pilgrims and their well-wishers.
Location: Gat Lebuh Acheh
Other Penang Street Art (not on the official map)
68. Oscar The Grouch
Location: Lorong Toh Aka
69. Tiger Mural
Location: Lorong Stewart
70. Fishbone
Location: Jalan Kuala Kangsar
71. Cat Hanging On Tyre
Location: Outside Cat N Dog Shop on Lebuh Cannon
72. Lion Dance
Lion dance is a Chinese traditional dance that mimics a lion’s movements.
Location: Lebuh Armenian
73. I Can Help Catch Rats
This piece of artwork was created as part of the 101 Lost Kittens project. It depicts a cat trying to catch a rat.
Location: Lebuh Armenian
74. Cat Kicking Minion
Location: Lebuh Victoria
75. Magic
The mural “Magic” depicts a little girl getting frightened over a magic show performed by a magician. I couldn’t capture the entire mural as the door was opened. You can see the whole mural here.
Location: Lebuh Armenian
76. Three Cultural Ladies
This mural caricature depicts three different girls in traditional costumes.
Location: Lorong Soo Hong
77. Teach You Speak Hokkien
Location: Lorong Soo Hong
78. I Want Bao
Location: On the side of Ming Xiang Tai Pastry Shop on Gat Lebuh Armenian
79. Street Vendor
Location: Lorong Song Hong
80. Two Men Pushing A Door
Location: Lorong Song Hong
81. Chinese Woman With Joss Sticks
Location: Lorong Song Hong
82. Chinese Door Guardian
Location: Lorong Toh Aka
83. Ice Cream Flower
Location: Lebuh Pantai
84. Little Girl Walking On Numbers
Location: On the side of Lang Hoose on Lebuh Pantai
85. Minion Next To Fire Hydrant
Location: Lebuh Ah Quee
86. Happy Dog With Steak
Location: Lebuh Ah Quee
87. Soy Milk Seller
Location: Gat Lebuh Chulia
88. Grandmother & Grandson
Location: Chew Jetty
89. Kung Fu Minion
Location: Gat Lebuh Chulia
90. Girl On Turtle
Location: On the side of Chulia Mansion Hotel on Lebuh Chulia
91. Chicken Alley
Location: Lorong Che Em
92. Marge Simpson
Location: Lorong Soo Hong
93. Shoal of Fish
Location: Lorong Soo Hong
94. Bao Seller
Location: On the side of Great Shanghai Dry Cleaning Shop on Lebuh Leith
95. Female Portrait
Location: Lebuh Tye Sin
96. Boy Eating Ice Cream
Location: Lebuh Tye Sin
Random Penang Street Art
These are some random street art I spotted while walking around George Town. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember their exact locations and there’s hardly any online information on them too.
97. Grandparents & Grandchildren
Location: Possibly somewhere in Little India
98. Postman Running
Location: Unknown
99. Queuing Up To Wash Hands
Location: Unknown
100. Standing On Head
Location: Possibly somewhere near Lebuh Armenian
101. Garlands Seller
Location: Possibly somewhere in Little India
If any of you happen to come across any of these random street art, do let me know the location! 🙂