Last week, OldTown White Coffee unveiled a series of murals painted by renowned artist Ernest Zacharevic in conjunction with the Art of OldTown project. The seven murals are drawing tons of attention from the locals and netizens, and were produced in the celebration of the heritage and history that is shared between Old Town, Ipoh and OldTown White Coffee.
The launch took place at the OldTown White Coffee outlet at Ipoh Padang in Old Town, Ipoh, and the custom made map detailing all the seven murals was also unveiled. The framed map will be permanently placed at that particular OldTown White Coffee outlet, so if you’re interested to track down all these murals, visit the outlet to pinpoint where you should be heading!
So, who’s Ernest Zacharevic? In case you’re living under a rock, he’s the young Lithuanian artist who’s been making a scene in George Town, Penang and has got all Malaysians talking about his beautifully executed murals on the streets of George Town, where good food is aplenty. These mural spots have become must-visits for all Malaysians plus tourists alike, and anyone who visits never misses the chance for a photo op with Ernest’s artwork.
The artist himself said this during the launch, “This project has also allowed me to delve deeper into the rich coffee culture that is so famous around Malaysia. OldTown White Coffee, which originates from Old Town, Ipoh, has opened my eyes to a side of Ipoh most don’t see and I am very pleased to be able to able to work with people who are as passionate about culture and heritage as I am.”
The seven murals are located around Old Town, Ipoh at the Jalan Panglima carpark, Market Street, Jalan Bijeh Timah, Concubine Lane 3, as well as two along Jalan Tun Sambanthan and Jalan Padang. Now, go hunt down these murals!
We went on a little tour around Old Town, Ipoh and we’ve already seen Ernest’s artwork for ourselves. Here’s what they look like:
1. Hummingbird – Old Town, Ipoh is a well-preserved land with abundance of nature all around. The vibrantly coloured hummingbird is seen as though it is coming home to the natural grown tree. It is a good combination of art with its natural surroundings.
2. Old uncle with white coffee – Enjoying white coffee is a part of Old Town, Ipoh’s culture and heritage. The uncle in this mural depicts that perfectly, bringing back good old memories of enjoying white coffee and how that is a part and parcel of life in Old Town, Ipoh.
3. Paper plane – Everyone has memories of enjoying simple but meaningful games while growing up and the paper plane is something that all children can connect with.
4. Girl with stool and bird cage – A young girl puts in all her effort into reaching high up to make the impossible happen, to set free the birds inside an actual bird cage that has been mounted onto the wall.
5. Kopi-O – What better way to enjoy life than to see the “kopi-o” gradually get lesser in the packet as it is being enjoyed by the happy and carefree community of Old Town, Ipoh?
6. Trishaw – This uncle is hard at work in collecting old recyclable items to be sent for recycling. With an actual trishaw that has been cut into half and mounted onto the wall, this mural brings out the appreciation of how life has changed for the better in Old Town, Ipoh, from hardship to a calm and enjoyable livelihood.
7. Evolution – Starting as a tin mining town, Ipoh has evolved and grew rapidly to what it is today. However, it still retains its heritage and culture essence of what makes Old Town, Ipoh so special until today.
OldTown White Coffee has grown to become the true leading white coffee manufacturer in Malaysia ever since it introduced its own 3-in-1 products back in year 1999. Now, the iconic OldTown White Coffee remains true to its heritage, providing an authentic flavour and nostalgic aroma to Malaysians and coffee lovers in 13 countries worldwide.
For some behind-the-scenes of the Evolution mural, check out this video!
OldTown White Coffee and Zacharevic fans can also view the murals on OldTown White Coffee’s official Facebook page!
