Penang murals restored by Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic

Four iconic Penang murals have been restored to their former glory, 12 years after they were painted on some of the island’s streets and became one of Malaysia’s most well-known tourist attractions.

The restoration of the paintings, Children On A Bicycle in Lebuh Armenian, Boy On Chair in Lebuh Cannon, and Boy On A Bike and Little Boy With A Pet Dinosaur in Lebuh Ah Quee, took roughly three weeks, according to Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic, who painted the original pieces in 2012.

Besides the four, he has also painted three other murals in Penang, two of which are still in good condition while one no longer exists.

The restoration works on the four murals included touching up the colour on the artworks, cleaning the walls they were on and restoring the props attached to them.

The work took place early in the morning or late at night due to the island’s hot and humid weather, as well as to avoid vehicular traffic and the crowds.

Snippets of the restoration work have been posted on Mr Zacharevic’s Instagram account.

Mr Zacharevic, 38, said his aim was to ensure the finished murals remained faithful to the original ones.

“My focus was to bring it back to the way it was in 2012 and I am happy with the way it turned out,” he told The Straits Times, adding that it was a slow and meticulous process.

Mr Zacharevic painted the murals to depict Penang’s idyllic lifestyle as part of the 2012 George Town Festival, an annual cultural celebration in Penang.

It came four years after George Town - and Melaka - were added to the Unesco World Heritage List.

The murals catapulted Mr Zacharevic to international fame - the BBC described him as Malaysia’s answer to Banksy - while his artworks have become landmarks that draw fans and tourists from all over the world.

He has also painted some murals in Singapore including two near Victoria Street.

The Penang-based artist said restoring the artworks was “special” to him as they launched his career and made the northern Malaysian state and, by extension Malaysia, well known.

“The artworks were not meant to be permanent but grew beyond anything I expected,” he said. “After all this time, people still love the pieces and it’s exciting to see the city changing around the artworks.”

Although some touch-ups were done in 2016 and 2019, this is the first time Mr Zacharevic has done a major restoration.

State tourism and creative economy committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the four murals were chosen for restoration as they were the most popular with people. “The artworks have contributed to Penang’s recognition as a hub for both colonial heritage and contemporary street art,” he told ST.

“However over time, the murals have weathered and we have received many requests from residents and visitors to restore them.”

Mr Wong added the state government covered Mr Zacharevic’s “expenses” incurred for the restoration. He declined to elaborate further.

Mr Zacharevic will be staging an exhibition on the restoration process at his Penang studio from Oct 19 to Dec 15.

“It will be nice to conclude this with an exhibition and share little stories about the restoration work and people around it,” he said.

The news of the restoration has been welcomed by both Penangites and tourists.

Finnish national Sam Karvonen, 48, said he always found Mr Zacharevic’s murals the epitome of street art, which compliments rather than disrupts the surrounding townscape.

“The iconic pieces capture the rustic charm of Georgetown, and they were enhanced by the joyful innocence of children. He really nailed their sweetness,” said the senior adviser to the Finnish government.

However, over the years, Mr Karvonen, who has family in Penang, has noticed the deterioration to the artworks.

“As a Gen X guy, I can shamelessly say the ‘Kodak moment’ has been lost,” he said, adding that he was heartened by news of the restoration and he looked forward to checking out the restored pieces with his family.

Penangite Giam Say Khoon, 42, was happy that the murals have been restored.

“The murals mean a lot, not just to the Penangites but every visitor who visited the island and had a great time taking memorable photos there,” said the public relations manager. “I’ll be sure to revisit the murals when I return to my hometown soon.”