Discover Awesome Street Art At Kampong Glam In Singapore

I am a huge fan of street art (you should know that by now for readers who have been following my blog). I have many pictures taken from hundreds of street art works, in dozens of cities/countries. I am always on the constant lookout for fascinating street art. Street art is proof that some of the best pieces of art, at least contemporary art, are not locked inside museums. Instead, they are out in the open for everyone to enjoy.

Singapore may not be associated with great street artwork compared to other Western countries, but there are hotspots that are (legally) tainted with unique and striking street art. Kampong Glam district (near Bugis shopping area) is a long-time creative art enclave and is one of the best places to wander around and discover the street art scene. Here are some places in Kampong Glam district in Singapore to admire these jaw-dropping works by both local and international street artists in this area.

Along Victoria Street between Jalan Klapa and Jalan Pisang:

This "Girl and the Cub" is the largest mural of all, spanning the entire side of a shophouse. If the commuters are waiting at the opposite bus stop, they'd notice the girl looking straight back at them as she stroked a lion cub.

You'll get to explore Singapore's Kampong Glam area through the street art found on its walls, old and new. Follow the art and discover something new about this popular cultural spot.

The "Peeping Tom", almost nondescript on a grassy patch, staring out at passers-by. These murals were painted by Mr Ernest Zacharevic, a Lithuanian whose street art became so popular in the heritage Georgetown, Penang.

His wall paintings represent characters and scenes that celebrate the energy and playfulness of life in the inner city. These murals can transform what used to be normal streets into more unusual, lively, witty and engaging ones.

Many people like to stop and take part in the murals he created, posing in funny ways and having their photo taken with Zacharevic’s street art pieces.

An installation of three children fill up the canvas around the building; two with their bodies sticking out of exclamation marks, and a third trying to scale to the top.

These are other "2 Children in Trolleys", with shopping carts cut in half and attached to the wall to give the installation a life-like feeling.

These wall installations along Victoria Street added up to the over-all unique vibe of Kampong Glam Distirct.

I managed to catch sight of this by surprise which is located not quite on Aliwal Street but it's actually along Jalan Sultan that runs parallel to it, opposite Keypoint office building. I have no idea whose work it is but I like the idea of it  looking it as a treehouse.

Back of Aliwal Arts Centre:

If you head over to Aliwal Arts Centre at Aliwal Street, Kampong Glam, go round the back. You will find many murals along the side wall and on the back wall. Aliwal Arts Centre houses one of Singapore’s more popular street artist collectives RSCLS. 

Nestled along the quaint Malay enclave of Kampong Glam, you can search for Italian artist Alice Pasquini’s seemingly hidden masterpiece in an unobtrusive corner of that same alleyway above an electrical box.

In the back alleyway of Aliwal Arts Centre. Pretty works done by RSCLS cool artists (by the way, these walls change often), meaning that they are not permanent artwork. The RSCLS use these walls as their practice field, hence you'll get to see many artwork over time, almost every month. These photos at Aliwal were collected over a period of time, since last year.

Sultan Arts Village:

This little building is easy to miss, a tiny enclave just a few roads down from Aliwal Arts Centre in front of the Malay Heritage Centre. There is a shop named The Black Book, which sells spray paints and apparel. The crew behind The Black Box also run the occasional graffiti battle here, so you can keep a lookout of their practice walls.

There is also art on the walls behind the shop, as well as around the front and sides of the Sultan Arts Village building for more awesome street art. It is such a fun place to explore.

​​The hip Haji Lane around the vicinity is also a hive of street art. Haji Lane is popular for its hipster shopping, shisha joints and attracts photographers looking for a colourful yet rustic backdrop; it is one of the spots in Singapore which has had street art for quite a long time before it got hip. Some of the other shops have got into the act as well, with artwork on their shopfronts, it’s definitely a visually exciting place.

I did a separate photo documentary on the street art at Haji Lane and you may browse the full story at this link:
http://www.jenniferteophotography.com/thats-life-blog/street-art-gives-urban-life-in-singapore-a-facelift

If you want to read all my blog posts on street art, you can click onto this link to browse the compilation:
​http://www.jenniferteophotography.com/thats-life-blog/category/street-art