GEORGE TOWN – Penang is no stranger to street art. When the state borders are open, visitors will find a few more murals showcasing the local heritage, food, and culture.
A rapid project undertaken by the local artists is at the Air Itam constituency. Spearheaded by the founder of Can Can Public Art, Tan Chor Whye, it is one of the highlights for the town during the pandemic.
“The project named 'Mapping Ayer Itam' was initiated by Air Itam Assemblyman, Joseph Ng. His vision was to revitalise and attract more visitors and tourists to the neighbourhood, when everything goes back to normal with the introduction of more murals.
“By highlighting traders and hawkers in the area, he hoped that it will assist in building up their business.
“We, Can Can Public Art, was engaged by him to bring in artists to curate and create urban mural art in this township,” Tan told The Vibes.
They started three weeks before Chinese New Year and completed it before the festive season started.
A newcomer in the mural art scene, Dana Ng Yi-Shuen, 22, was one of those who went through a mentorship programme aimed at cultivating more muralists.
“I did two stylised murals on my own and did a realistic one with two other artists.
“The idea was to do put up something that people can relate to. For example, as most people in the township consist of the older generation, we had a mural with kites to bring back good memories to make them happy. For the youth, we had murals of cartoonish characters that people knew,” she said.
According to Tan, Penang is the most known popular street art city now. In 2017, Lonely Planet published a visual guide entitled 'Street Art' and Penang is the only city in Asia to make it to the list 'Street Art Capitals of the World'.
He said that these murals have elevated the heritage city along with its food, culture, and business to be well known internationally. Today, visitors can take snapshots of larger-than-life portraits of Penang’s famous Curry Mee “Ah Ma” sisters at Air Itam market – Lim Kooi Heang, 89, and Kooi Lye, 87 – and the man behind “Susu Tarik Bus Station”, Kathirvelu Seenivasan, 53.
In Taman Riang, Butterworth, art teacher Hunny Ooi, 44, was engaged by Penang Youth Development Corporation (PYDC) to create a 51-metre-long floor mural on a two-metre wide pavement.
“This is my first on-floor mural art project and I had youth volunteers from different backgrounds, but have one thing in common, a passion for art. With another artist friend, Dylan Teo, we helped guide and taught them how to paint.
“I chose to paint the pathway with sunflowers, so it promotes positivity, strength, and happiness to those who walk on it,” the fine art artist said.
Sponsored by Bagan Jermal assemblyman Soon Lip Chee, this is the first project under the Blank Canvas: Mural Art Series. It was completed by 50 young volunteers.
“This initiative should continue so more colourful artwork can be added to our community. As it is, there are many talented youths. By introducing murals, it could further spark their interest in art.
More murals in other townships like Paya Terubong and Batu Kawan will be added in the coming months. – The Vibes, April 21, 2021
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