Old Town White Coffee unveiled a series of murals drawn by renowned artist, Ernest Zacharevic, in conjunction with the Art of OLDTOWN project recently. Ernest had spent one and a half months completing seven murals which drew much attention from locals and netizens alike.
The launch event took place at the OLDTOWN White Coffee, Ipoh Padang outlet in Old Town, Ipoh, unveiling a custom made map of all seven murals of Art of OLDTOWN. The framed map will be permanently placed at the OLDTOWN White Coffee, Ipoh Padang outlet, and will serve as the starting point for fans to trace all locations of the Art of OLDTOWN murals.
Mr Lee Siew Heng, Group Managing Director of OLDTOWN Berhad said, “This initiative is our way of recognising the heritage of Old Town, Ipoh, the place where OLDTOWN White Coffee originated from, as well as pay homage to original masters of true white coffee. We believe that art is the best way to celebrate Old Town, Ipoh, showcasing its heritage and uniqueness to Malaysians and tourists alike. We are glad to have been able to collaborate with Mr Zacharevic, as he has captured the spirit of the coffee culture here in Old Town, Ipoh in his stunning wall murals.”
Zacharevic had this to say earlier, “The Art of OLDTOWN has been like a dream come true for me. Since the earliest days of my travels in Malaysia, I have always heard stories about the culture and heritage of Ipoh. I am very thankful to OLDTOWN White Coffee for allowing me to leave my mark on this wonderful town and I hope that I have been able to capture the celebration of the coffee culture and heritage of this great place and its people. ”
Ernest’s artwork has been known from around the world. They can be spotted in Johor, Singapore, Penang, Kuala Lumpur and even places abroad. He makes unique art by cutting bicycles, trishaws, chairs, etc into halves and mounts them onto the wall where his artwork is, creating a 3D effect. You will never fail to see tourists and locals walking around town, hunting down every painting there is of his. Some of his artwork had been damaged in certain towns by vandalism and unappreciative people. Everyone hopes that the Ipoh society will appreciate the artwork that Ernest has done that was inspired by his experiences in Ipoh.
The seven murals are located around Old Town, Ipoh at Jalan Panglima carpark (Hummingbird), Jalan Bandar Timah (Girl), Jalan Bijeh Timah (Evolution), Concubine Lane 3 (Trishaw), as well as 2 along Jalan Tun Sambanthan (Paper Plane and Kopi-O) and Jalan Padang (Old Uncle with Coffee Cup), with meaningful stories behind every artwork.
Susan Ho
