Sorry if things are a bit messy, I’m reorganising stuff so work in progress!
Hunting down street art is one of my favourite ways to explore new cities. What started out as a fun way to discover offbeat attractions and hidden gems over a decade ago has grown into a collection of street art guides spanning my travels across Asia, Europe, Australia and beyond.
Each guide is based on my own travels, with photos that I took and the stories I’ve uncovered from my own research. Most of my street art hunting adventures are solo, though I’ve joined street art tours in different cities to learn from local guides and get some new perspectives. I try to update when I can, but there’s so much to cover, so think of these posts as a snapshot in time of my travels.
Along the way I’ve realised that a treasure trove of street art exists right in my own backyard. I have a dedicated collection of neighbourhood guides documenting Singapore’s murals that I regularly update as the street art scene evolves. If you’re planning to visit Singapore, check out my Singapore street art guides for the latest posts, or drop me a note if you want to book a street art walking tour with me.
Explore street art guides by region
I’ve organised my collection of posts by region and destination. Not all my street art experiences have made it into blog form (because… life. It’s a lot of work to write a good street art guide!) but I’ve detailed what I can here for reference, and linked to posts that I managed to create.
Asia Pacific
Singapore 🇸🇬
Naturally my Singapore street art guide collection is also my most extensive. While Singapore might be a surprising place for street art given its historically strict laws against vandalism, commissioned murals have become a popular way to jazz up different neighbourhoods.
Head over to my Singapore street art page to see a more detailed look at the local scene as well as all my different neighbourhood guides. You can also check out @singaporestreetart on Instagram where I post some of my street art finds.
But if you’re visiting Singapore and are looking for some places to explore, here are my top 3 recommendations for some beautiful walls:
Chinatown
Chinatown is one of the best places to glimpse old Singapore through its street art, with muralist Yip Yew Chong’s detailed memories of his childhood growing up in the district. Beyond his iconic works, you’ll also find more contemporary artworks from local and international artists tucked away in alleys and on the sides of heritage shophouses.
Katong / Joo Chiat
Katong’s street art is centred around Joo Chiat Road, where murals celebrate the neighbourhood’s rich Peranakan heritage and multicultural history. Explore colourful artworks inspired by local life alongside the iconic heritage shophouses that make this district so distinctive.
Kampong Gelam
Kampong Gelam is the heart of Singapore’s street art scene, and a place that I love as I worked in the area before it got hip for several years. Beyond the iconic murals along Haji Lane, look out for new works around Aliwal Arts Centre and Sultan Arts Village, home to several local street art crews and some of the city’s rare dynamic walls.
Malaysia 🇲🇾
Penang was one of the first places in Malaysia (and perhaps Southeast Asia) where murals really blew up and transformed the neighbourhood with colour and an influx of tourism. Since then, mural projects have also started popping up in several other cities. I saw a handful in Melaka, but places like Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur are still on my list of places to check out.
Penang – George Town
George Town was one of the main inspirations for me to start documenting street art on my travels. Street art back then was something I associated with Europe and other communities, but George Town really boomed after they introduced murals to the neighbourhood, and it was just a short flight away! I do need to go back again at some point to see what it looks like now…
Penang – Other areas
I love that other areas in Penang started to get their own murals as well, and on my return trip, I made it a point to explore outside the George Town area to see this murals. That led me to some fun public bus adventures: to the art space Hin Bus Depot, to Balik Pulau village and even to Butterworth on the main land.
Melaka (Malacca)
I spent some time exploring Melaka for a writing assignment and found that they had a handful of pretty cool murals in their downtown area, including this very iconic Orangutan. I never got around to writing a Melaka guide on the blog though I did
Thailand 🇹🇭
Bangkok
Bangkok was a revelation and home to some really cool art works thanks to their street art festivals. Bangkok for most Singaporeans is about eating and shopping, but I love how hunting down these murals led me to neighbourhoods like Ratchatewi, Bangrak and Talat Noi in Chinatown.
Sukhothai – Sawankhalok
This tiny town in the Sukhothai region of northern Thailand was surprisingly interesting, and they had created a street art alley to drum up interest in the area. What’s cool is that it actually featured a Singaporean street artist (Ceno) whose works I love!
Taiwan 🇹🇼
Kaohsiung – Weiwuying
I found some pretty cool art installations and large murals at Kaohsiung’s Pier 2, but I was truly taken away by the Weiwuying art village, a former military area where artists were invited to paint entire blocks of flats and turn the estate into an impressive outdoor art gallery.
Taipei
I’ve explored Taipei a lot, and while it doesn’t have any particular street art areas, there are small clusters where you can find some walls. Treasure Hill Art Village is an artist commune and has some installations as well as walls, Taipei Cinema Park near shopping area Ximending has some cool walls, and I even found some graffiti walls at Meiti and Yingfeng Riverside Parks while cycling.
China 🇨🇳
Hong Kong – Sheung Wan and Central
I was in Hong Kong during Hong Kong Art Month and just happened to catch HKwalls, a street art festival that transforms different neighbourhoods around Hong Kong annually. It was really cool to see the artists in action, and I came back again to see other new works in later years.
Macao
I was invited up to explore Macao and cover some more offbeat things to do in the area, and discovered that they had some pretty cool street art festivals so a new street guide was definitely up my alley!
Shanghai
Coming soon
South Korea 🇰🇷
Seoul – Ihwa, Mullae, Apjugeong, Hongdae
I found some cool neighbourhoods while exploring Seoul and spots like Ihwa on the hillside and industrial district Mullae have grown from underground finds to hip spots today. The youth area Hongdae is always good for fun murals, and Apjugeong got famous for its graffiti tunnel.
Busan
Southern hub Busan is more laidback than Seoul and also has lots of colourful spots. While I didn’t find much within the city, Busan has used art murals to revive its quieter villages. I’ve only visited Gamcheon Village but there are many more new spots to check out now!
Türkiye 🇹🇷
Istanbul – Kadikoy
I visited a friend in Istanbul while on my career break and she introduced me to Kadikoy, a town on the Asian side of Istanbul that had some lovely street art murals from a festival.
Australia 🇦🇺
Melbourne
I took a street art tour with Melbourne Street Tours that was led by this really cool artist called Junky Projects. He showed us that street art was more than just murals and the famous Hosier Lane. We even got to see Blender Studios at the end of the tour.
Europe
Europe is one of my favourite regions for street art because it’s so extensive and there are so many awesome street art festivals! The juxtaposition of old and new where contemporary murals meets cobblestoned streets and old walls is amazing.
Portugal 🇵🇹
Lisbon
Bangkok was a revelation and home to some really cool art works thanks to their street art festivals. Bangkok for most Singaporeans is about eating and shopping, but I love how hunting down these murals led me to neighbourhoods like Ratchatewi, Bangrak and Talat Noi in Chinatown.
Lagos
This tiny town in the Sukhothai region of northern Thailand was surprisingly interesting, and they had created a street art alley to drum up interest in the area. What’s cool is that it actually featured a Singaporean street artist (Ceno) whose works I love!
Spain 🇪🇸
Barcelona
coming soon
Valencia
coming soon
Madrid
coming soon
England 🏴
London – Shoreditch
coming soon
Manchester
coming soon
Poland 🇵🇱
Gdansk – Zaspa
coming soon
Krakow
coming soon
Wrocław
coming soon
Łódź
coming soon
Warsaw
coming soon
Romania 🇷🇴
Bucharest
I found some pretty cool works in Bucharest when I visited in 2017, but also enjoyed a little excursion to the outskirts to an abandoned area called Chimopar which was full of graffiti scrawls.
Italy 🇮🇹
Rome – Tor Marancia, Ostiense
coming soon
Germany 🇩🇪
Berlin
coming soon
Austria 🇦🇹
Linz
coming soon
Hungary 🇭🇺
Budapest
coming soon
North America
United States 🇺🇸
San Francisco
coming soon
Canada 🇨🇦
Vancouver
I visited a friend in Vancouver back in 2016 over the winter and had some time to kill wandering around the city. I found this really cool work by Os Gemeos at Granville Island, and a bunch of murals along Main Street. Nowadays the Vancouver Mural Festival means a lot more walls and some pretty cool self-guided tours as well!
South America
Colombia 🇨🇴
Bogota
I did a street art walking tour around the La Candelaria area with Bogota Graffiti when I visited the city in 2017. Lots of very cool vibrant works! I was also a bit nervous about walking around on my own because there was so much talk about safety, particularly in Bogota, so I was quite glad to take a guided walk instead of wandering on my own.
Some of my favourite street artists
I can’t say I’m a bit art connoisseur, but after all this time looking at street art, I have found some distinct styles and beautiful works that really resonate with me. Here are some of my favourite street artists to look out for:
ROA
One of my favourite street artists is ROA who hails from Ghent, Belgium. I’ve not been to that part of the world but I have seen many of his amazing black and white animals in so many other cities, so I have a special post dedicated to him.
Vhils
coming soon
Aryz
coming soon
Eunice Hannah
coming soon
ANTZ
coming soon