Iconic Penang murals restored by Lithuanian artist after 12 years

Work included cleaning the walls, touching up the artwork colour and renewing props

- Eileen Ng

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 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 originals.

"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.