Street art and wall murals of Melaka
Although Penang is the street art capital of Malaysia, it’s not the country’s only place to see it. Over the last few years local artists have taken to the streets of Malacca.
You’ll find a surprising number of murals sprawled across facades that would otherwise look run-down and neglected.
Before I continue, I should say Malacca is not like Berlin in that you don’t go to Malacca for its street art – it’s not that extraordinary – but it’s definitely a nice surprise to see, especially when you least expect it given that Penang takes up all the pages on Google when you search for the term ‘street art in Malaysia’.
The best way to see the work is simply by wandering around with no fixed direction, if you make the effort to meander down the back-alleys you’ll soon discover a labyrinth of narrow, cobbled streets that weave into one another. Whether you’re looking for street art or not, something will catch your eye; a snapshot of daily life, the highly decorative Chinese temples, bountiful dishes of food, or finally, that piece of street art you’ve been sauntering around in the heat looking for.
Below are some of the best wall murals I stumbled across for you to uncover yourself!
Mural opposite St Francis’ Church
This highly decorative mural depicting a Chinese woman, an Indian woman, and a Malay man reflects the multi-cultural heritage of Melaka.
It is located at a spot opposite St Francis’ Church, directly in front of a small excavation site of the 16th century Melaka fortress.
Kiehl’s House near Jonker Street
As a celebration of Malaysia’s five World Heritage Sites in Malaysia, the cosmetic brand Kiehl’s actually made their own mural and commissioned street artist Fritilldea for the job. It is located at the end of Jalan Tukang Besi next to the river and just around the corner from Jonker Street. It’s super bright and colourful, and one of the largest murals in the city so it’s hard to miss.
Wall murals on Jalan Hang Kasturi Street
Jalan Hang Kasturi street is full of old-world charm. Take a stroll down (towards Jalan Kampung Pantai street) and you’ll find a variety of charming buildings, and a selection of murals and small pieces of street art.
Charles Cham – Melaka’s first street artist
Charles Cham is one of the most famous artists in malacca, his work is often humorous and political.
Street art along the river
For the biggest and most colourful wall murals, take a stroll down the Malacca River until you reach a stretch of buildings brightly painted buildings.
Many of these buildings have been turned into guesthouses so if you’re looking for a place that’s got more character than a standard hotel, and where you’re likely to bump into other backpackers, it’s a good area to start looking.
Art for Food Lovers
Malacca is a city obsessed with food. So much so, there are different dishes and food items depicted through street art.
The city centre isn’t very big so there’s no need to rush, a part of the beauty of being here is simply to unwind and let the slow pace of life seeps into your being. (If you want to press down on the accelerator then go to Kuala Lumpur).
It’s a city that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Just relax, admire the street art, and soak up the hippy vibes, and enjoy some of the best cuisine Asia has to offer.
Kaya-Kaya Cafe getting ready for their grand opening by painting their shutters.
A few days later I went to Kaya-Kaya cafe and surprise, surprise, a wall mural! The food is delicious.
It’s also a great idea to hire a bicycle to explore Malacca. It’s cheap as chips and you’ll be able to cover lots of ground, as well as get a better perspective on how the city is filled with lots of characterful back-alleys.
However, don’t ride a bicycle like the locals do. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen women cycling with an umbrella in one hand.
Please LADIES, put two hands safely on the handle bars!
Check out the cute facade of this guesthouse hah!
Must-read: How to Spend 2 days in Melaka | A Local Guide
Where to stay in Melaka
I stayed in Layang Layang, which is a simple but lovely guesthouse with various pieces of art work on the walls and a super laid-back vibe. This is a budget option because the bathrooms are shared (though I had a private room).
If you’re after something more luxury, take a look at more opinions on Booking.com.
Would you like to visit Melaka?
19 responses
Shing, I enjoyed reading this post. Find it funny and witty too especially advising others not to cycle as the locals do, that is cycling with one hand on the bicycle handle and the other holding an umbrella. That could be one of the reason why they are so good at balancing and perhaps even at juggling.
Chuen
After two and a half years of having this blog my father makes his first comment whoop! This is a landmark ocassion for The Culture Map 😉
Haha your correlation between one-handed cyclists and having a natural aptitude for balancing and juggling might not be off the mark!
I think this may be one of my favourite posts of yours to date! Absolutely love all the photos – makes me want to go back to Malacca right now (and eat some kaya!) 🙂
Glad you liked this one Sarah, I suppose the sight of horses and the mention of Kaya is a combination that appeals to your most inner desires :p
Ah Malacca. I was there in March 1987. Not been back since. I should imagine it has changed a little bit since then. Sadly it was just an overnight stay as I was being driven to Singapore. But I enjoyed a quiet afternoon wandering around and taking pictures. A town with an amazing history. The pictures make me want re-visit. and spend more than an afternoon and a night there.
Hi Nigel! The colonial history of Malacca is amazing isn’t it? And to be able to get a sense of these stages in history whilst walking around the town in the present day is even more amazing.
I hope you pay another visit in the not so distant future. It’s not far too far away from your home!
Penang might still be the most famous hot spot among tourists and visitors, but Ipoh and Malacca especially, are thriving too. Ernest Zacharevic did a great job kickstarting the street art culture in Penang. Since then, there are many like minded Malaysian artists continuing the great works all over Malaysia. Hopefully more and more cities will become as colourful in the coming years! 😀
Glad you mentioned Ipoh, have you been before? I’ve got my eye on that place, it looks like a fab city, I’ve heard great things about it from other Malays but it’s virtually unknown internationally!
I’ve been there before, but not recently. If you are interested, here’s 2 places that I think you can focus your search on:
1. Concubine Lane – in the middle of the Old Town area where all the street arts and coffee shops are located at.
2. Qing Xin Ling – this is a fairly new place, I’ve not been here before, it is supposed to be a cultural village that they built on the outskirts of Ipoh city, right next to a forest reserve. Free to visit, and I think they have chalets for rent if you want to spend the night.
Thank you for these tips, I hope I have the time to squeeze in a trip! If not you must make another visit especially to write about its street art!!!
These photos and post make me want to go back there. When we went to Malacca we supposed yo stay only for a couple of days, then loved it so much that we ended up staying for two weeks. Love this city and its artistic side 🙂
That’s so great to hear Franca, I met a few travellers here and they’ve told me the same thing, and some even stay for months and years!
I’ve never really thought of going to Malaysia but the more street art I see, the more I want to visit it! Malacca definitely looks like my kind of place!!
Malacca is my favourite place in Malaysia, it’s so relax yet vibrant. If you end up planning a trip, feel free to get in touch with me for tips Kami!
Thanks for sharing. Good to know this attraction in Malacca. I will visit Malacca end of this month. Sure will go to explore around that area.
Hi Meng,
Glad to hear that you’ll be going to Malacca, I hope you find pleasure in these these wall murals! The food is amazing too! 🙂
Hi Shing, I came across street art as I just visited Malaysia and came back :).. Was searching online what topics were covered on fellow travel bloggers as well on Graffitti. Loves the Graffiti you saw .. Infact I was at Kaya Cafe whole time as I was hosted by the main brand as well .Would read about Hello Kitty. Btw do do drop your two cents on my blog as well !
We loved Malacca (or Melaka, or however is that place spelt anyway?!). We loved it so much that we stayed a total of 8 weeks, such a cool vibe and the food is amazing. We love it more than Penang in a lot of ways party because the crowds disappear after the weekend and you can just wander about in peace. There’s so much to see in the area and the street art is definitely one of the things that gives it that special feel. Yes, many happy days spent wandering around this cool place in Malaysia!