Artist reunites with kids who inspired iconic Penang murals

12 years on, he restores wall art as the subjects recall how they were immortalised

- Eileen Ng

All the Tan siblings wanted was to get on a big red bicycle and have a bit of fun. Little did they know that they would be immortalised in an iconic mural in Penang, which became one of Malaysia's best-known tourist attractions.

Tan Yi and her younger brother Tan Kern were the two children depicted in the Children On A Bicycle mural in Lebuh Armenian, painted by Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic in 2012.

At that time, they were five and three years old, respectively.

Twelve years later, on Oct 19, they were reunited with Mr Zacharevic after the artist finished the restoration of the mural, together with three other pieces of wall art.

Also present at the reunion in Penang was Mr Mohammad Shahrul Aiman Mohamed, 23, who was the source of inspiration for another of Mr Zacharevic's famous murals, Boy On A Bike.

The Tan siblings and Mr Mohammad Shahrul were all born and bred in the northern Malaysian state.