Life

Street art in Malaysia has picked up quite a bit. It is now common to see murals and paintings by both local and international artists laced around town, whether in Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Melaka, and – where it all catapulted from – Penang.

In fact, since we’re already on the topic of Penang: the humble town recently hosted the Penang International Container Art Festival (PICAF). The festival features pop-up container art installations, spread across five locations throughout Penang island and the mainland. The exhibition will be up until May 2020.

There is no denying that the street art scene is thriving. And what’s even more amazing is the international recognition the country has been getting for it, such as being voted as the ‘Best Of January 2020’ on Street Art Cities.

A little background info: Street Art Cities is a community that shares murals around the world. The platform hosts an Instagram poll on a monthly basis to decide which artwork is liked the most.

In January, there were a total of 80 artwork nominated, with two from Malaysia being listed at the top of the list. They are:

Connections by Caryn Koh

The artist painted the piece on metal-plated containers for the Penang International Container Art Festival 2020 at Aspen Vision City in Batu Kawan, Penang. The girl with the braid represents the attachments we’ve had, and the new ones we will form.

Hope for the future by Julia Volchkova

Russian artist Julia Volchkova painted a little Malay girl playing with her old toy blocks, trying to build her dream city. All the while overlooking the nearby construction site, imagining how her dream future city would looks like.

Fun fact: Volchkova holds the record of “The Largest Portrait Mural in Malaysia” in The Malaysia Book of Records with her The Loving Sisters located at Muar, Johor.

It’s an exciting time for the art and culture scene for sure, so here’s to many more to come.

Source: Medium, Penang International Container Art Festival