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Street art of Kuching is unique and beautiful. Murals have special message and portrays surrounding environment. Many street arts show scenes from local people, local animals and local culture and their life. Orangutan Paintings are all around the city, while another wildlife motif is the hornbill. An initiative to draw street arts were taken by government in 2015 with murals featuring old business ventures that were started in the heritage area. This also includes, at least, two to three generations who are still running their businesses on these ancient streets.
Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic is famous for his street art in Penang, but he has cool paintings in Kuching as well, such as with 3-dimensional interactive murals. You can find his work on a Jalan Power. Hi paintings are lovely Barrel of Monkeys (8 baby orangutans in a wheel barrow) (turn left at the end of India Street) , along with a young orangutan swinging from a gutter.
Not to be outdone, a group of 6 young Malaysian artists have created three striking street murals, sponsored by Petronas. The Leopard is located on Carpenter Street, opposite the Drunk Monkey bar. Hornbill, Hibiscus, Harmony is on the corner of Main Bazaar and Wayang Street, next to the pedestrian crossings.
Children is located at Wayang Street, across from the Fung Shan Temple.It represents children from Sarawak’s various ethnic groups. It is on the wall of the Granary Kitchen and Bar.
All sides of Singgahsana Lodge hotel are painted with murals. Three-stores building is beautiful with its birds and orangutans. You can enjoy view from any side of street. Murals were painted in 2017 by an artist Leonard Siaw and the title of Street art is ‘Wild about Kuching”.
Mural art ‘The Early Merces’, featuring Wee Aik Oh and Sayed Ahmad, who were two pioneer textile traders in Indian Street. This art represents the richness of the textile industry in the early days of the Indian Street, which revives the spirit of old Kuching History.
Artist: Leonard Siaw
