Painting Galeri Petronas blue and red

Pangzi has developed a bad habit of painting from art class in school. He now likes to paint on everything, from cardboard boxes to newspapers to my living room walls.

Once I went home to see my photo defaced on my identity card. Fortunately that was only a photocopy version.

This had to stop, so I decided to take him to see graffiti of the highest order: a street art exhibition at Galeri Petronas.

Located at Level 3 of Suria KLCC in the capital city of Malaysia, Galeri Petronas is a modern gallery promoting visual art. It offers a breathing stop for those who go there for the shopping or taking selfies against the Twin Towers.

On this occasion, Galeri Petronas had turned into a street art corner featuring all shapes and forms of graffiti.

“Daddy, what’s graffiti?” Pangzi asked. “Wait, I know, I know. I think it’s why the Apple phone falls on the head of Newton MRT!”

I think you’re terribly confused.

“Look, if you have to paint on the walls at home, make sure it’s of this standard,” I told him.

Not all of the art pieces were wall graffiti though. We saw how some everyday items like doors and bottles were marvellously painted over, street-style.

Galeri Petronas is a rare gem of an exhibition space in a country not really known to embrace contemporary art. A designer friend who works in KL has alerted me of the place, as it’s just about the only source of inspiration you’ll get here apart from books.