Georgetown, Penang - The Eye of Ernest Zacharevic

Looking pensive yet curious and expectant, a young girl in blue dress waits clutching a string holding a collection of garbage bags.
Someone is blocking the way to the washrooms - this character says more than its apparent impressions, with underlying political undertones.  Originally set up at Legoland in southern Johor State in Malaysia, just across the border from Singapore.
The teh tarik, an iconic street drink of refreshing brown coloured tea with cinnamon flavours, is in the packet hanging on the left of this art piece.  Do read the detail at the lower right.
Sci fi undertones and colours that echo more of the street murals in Western cities.
A very candid and captivating impression of a bare shirted teenage boy on the streets of Georgetown, Penang.
A calligraphic like representation  of the iconic Horse that comes alive with brush strokes.
Not sure whether the orange coloured water hose is part of the artistic expression, but the former Hin Bus Company site has been energised with some funk, fun and fresh perspectives by Ernest Zacharevic.
A face that reaches out for your attention, with simple red coloured but bold strokes to suggest a blouse, but I do love the cleverly placed hair ribbons as well.
Hurdles, passages and walls - the facade of an existing structure that still stands is transformed into flexibility, challenge and triumph.  Photo credit to Ms May Wah Ong.
Owls hark back to the mysteries of the forests, with links to the human soul and fascination for legends.
The so-called dunce caps worn by these boys are roadwork contraptions seen around the world.
Row, row your boat - allusions to Chinese vignettes from the past and yet with a modern paddle, set against a backdrop of tropical moulding walls.
One of the pieces that I love best - with zest, no limits and full imagination, a child rides on the cusp of adventure, ambition and an imaginary horse,
This encapsulates what can be a typical street scene in most of south-east Asia.
A familiar face, rendered much taller and yet with a comfortable presence.
A rendition on sack cloth - I have yet to figure this one out!
A combined effect between art and physical reality, a clever coming together of the mind's impression and what cannot be removed.
A dairy cow comes alive with the use of thumb tacks.
This is the purpose of it all by Ernest - to open up minds, discussion and over coming the limits of appearances.
A piece simply called "Rubber Band".
I was attracted by the use of art over the pale green and white coloured chicks - what was commonly utilised over much of colonial Malaya and Singapore a fifty to a hundred years ago, to shelter stuff and people from the harsh equatorial sun.
Zacharevic's formula on how to make the teh tarik - a packet of milk with a packet of black coffee.
The very first tall tower in Georgetown that harks back forty years - the Komtar - overlooks the pop up site.
Zacharevic's very first iconic success in rendering street art along Armenian Street in the old quarter of Georgetown, Penang.
This scene was so endearing to me - with anime like impact, this young girl could be just be whiling away her time, but to me, also looking forward to her future, with much possibility, uncertainty and yet inner thrill.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Wow this is amazing - I didn't know there were so many!
- Shaun
Kin Yuen said…
Hi Shaun, these murals were part of a recent dedicated site for Zacharevic, in another part of the old quarter of Georgetown.
May Wah said…
It's not teh tarik, Kevin. It's kopi + susu = Michael Jackson! (Black & White)
Kin Yuen said…
Like the actual name of the MJ hit!

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