THE OldTown White Coffee chain has launched a series of seven murals called the Art of OldTown Project by renowned Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacherevic at one of its outlets here recently.
The murals project aimed to share the heritage and history of the famous Ipoh white coffee manufacturer whose origin started in the old quarters of the city.
OldTown White Coffee executive director Alex Chuah said his team was proud to work with Zacherevic as the latter was one of the better-known artists in the country.
“Zacherevic has a talent for interpreting the lifestyle and heritage of a particular town or city like Ipoh through his artistic murals.
“The idea was actually mooted by our branding team who brainstormed on what we could do differently to turn the heritage of towns and cities into tourist attractions,” he said.
Speaking after launching the project at its outlet in Jalan Tun Sambanthan, opposite the famed Ipoh Padang, Chuah said Ipoh was chosen as the first city for the project as the famous Ipoh white coffee had its roots in the old town of the city.
“We are planning to expand the mural project by collaborating with more local artists.
“I believe we are promoting something special here. While we share this aesthetic creation, we believe the public too would feel the connection with the city as they admire and enjoy the beautiful murals,” he said.
For Zacherevic, the OldTown White Coffee project has been a dream come true.
“Since the earliest days of my travels in Malaysia, I have always heard stories about the culture and heritage of Ipoh.
“This project has allowed me to delve deeper into the rich culture of the white coffee.
“OldTown White Coffee has opened my eyes to a side of Ipoh most people don’t see and I am happy to work with these people who are as passionate about culture and heritage as I am,” he said, adding that he spent six weeks to draw the seven murals.
The seven murals are that of a hummingbird, an elderly man with a mug of Ipoh white coffee, paper planes, a girl standing beside a stool while holding a bird cage, four packets of Kopi-O hanging from a wall, an old man pushing a trishaw and evolution of Ipoh city through the various tin-mining periods.
The murals are located at seven spots in the old quarters of the city — in Jalan Panglima carpark, Market Street, Jalan Bijeh Timah and Concubine Lane 2 and 3, Jalan Tun Sambathan and Jalan Padang.