ARTIST Ernest Zacharevic has filed a legal suit against AirAsia and its parent company, Capital A Berhad, for the airline’s alleged unauthorised use of his artwork.
The Lithuanian-born street artist, who is based in Penang, said he discovered that his artwork - 'Children on a bicycle' was featured on an AirAsia plane sometime in October 2024.
In his lawsuit, he is seeking relief recognising his rights as an artist, an injunction against AirAsia from further unauthorised use of his artwork, as well as damages.
His lawyer, Joachim Francis Xavier, confirmed the matter to reporters after the suit was filed earlier.
The artwork is reportedly one of Zacharevic’s most well-known street murals since he painted it in 2012 in Penang.
In his suit, he alleged that AirAsia and Capital A had “reproduced, displayed, and adapted” the artwork without his knowledge, licence, or authorisation.
In a statement following the lawsuit filing, Zacharevic said the action arose from events between October and November 2024, when one of his most significant artworks was used on the exterior livery of an AirAsia aircraft as part of the airline’s corporate branding.
It was later removed after he publicly objected to its use.
He said the reproduction of his artwork was not an isolated incident, alleging a pattern of unauthorised use by the defendants and their affiliates in various promotional campaigns since 2016. – February 9, 2026
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