On November 25, Tan Chor Whye, a renowned pioneer of street art in Penang, died of heart disease at the age of 67. Widely regarded as the “godfather of Penang murals,” Tan played a pivotal role in revitalizing the city’s public art landscape, transforming it into an internationally recognized center for street art.  

Though rarely in the spotlight, Tan was the mastermind behind many of Penang’s iconic murals. Born in 1958 and trained in interior design, he maintained a lifelong passion for art, but only fully committed to it after retiring at 60. From 2010 onward, Tan quietly laid the groundwork for George Town’s public art renaissance, bringing together artists, communities, private patrons, and government support. That year, he purchased a work by Lithuanian-born artist Ernest Zacharevic and introduced him to the local collective Urban Sketchers Penang—an encounter that catalyzed the city’s now-famous streetscape.

Tan’s collaboration with Zacharevic crystallized into many iconic projects, including Little Children on a Bicycle (2012) on Armenian Street and Rage Against the Machine (2016) on Jalan Sultan in Kuala Lumpur, which was unfortunately destroyed in 2018 during urban redevelopment. In 2015, Tan partnered with Russian artist Julia Volchkova to create Indian Boatman and Indonesian Boy, which launched the latter’s career. 

As the founder of Can Can Public Art, a creative team specializing in public art, and a former director of the George Town Festival, Tan continued to support and engage with local and international artists in Penang. In late 2024, he collaborated with Bayan Baru’s member of parliament Sim Tze Tzin to plan a new mural project in Sungai Ara. The project realized Ice Cream Seller and Hide and Seek (both 2025) by Tan’s youngest son Anderson Tan I-Han, which were unveiled on January 6.

Upon his passing, many of Tan’s long-time collaborators paid tribute. Among them, Sim wrote on social media, “Penang lost a son who has made street arts world famous . . . We will all remember his contributions to Penang.” 

Yuqian Fan is an editorial intern at ArtAsiaPacific.