Drawing on Heritage

Street art ― some as high as 15 m ― is drawing droves of visitors to Malaysia’s old towns. Many have catapulted the buildings that serve as canvasses to fame while others have drawn the public’s ire. Recently, Urban Xchange ― Malaysia’s first street art festival featuring Zacharevic, had artists like prominent batik and watercolor painter Datuk Tay Mo Leong, questioning whether the new murals were connected with Penang’s culture. While Malacca’s heritage precinct murals are a hit with tourists, Malaysian Heritage and History Club founder Bert Tan insists they have marred the buildings’ facades and should be confined to the interior. READ MORE…