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Go on a colourful adventure with this guide to Kampong Glam murals! 

Kampong Glam is hands down one of my favourite ethnic neighbourhoods in the city. While I do love its trendy cafes, charming boutiques, and incredible variety of Mediterranean and Malay cuisine, what keeps me coming back is the vibrant street art.  

The street art scene here is nothing short of spectacular. Walls of traditional shophouses are transformed into canvases, showcasing commissioned works by both local and international artists.  

These murals beautifully capture the district’s rich and colourful history. To help you explore this artistic gem, I’ve put together a guide to the must-see Kampong Glam murals!

Where is Kampong Glam?

Kampong Glam is a cultural gem nestled near downtown Singapore and the Bugis area. 

Renowned for its vibrant street art and rich diversity, the neighbourhood seamlessly blends traditional crafts with trendy modern establishments, creating a unique and dynamic atmosphere.

What are the streets in Kampong Glam?

The main streets in Kampong Glam include Arab Street, Haji Lane, Baghdad Street, Muscat Street, Bussorah Street, North Bridge Road, and Sultan Gate. 

How to Get to Kampong Glam

By Train: Take the East-West Line or Downtown Line. Kampong Glam is a short 5–10 minute walk from the Bugis MRT Station. Exit via Exit B or D and head towards Victoria Street or North Bridge Road.

By Bus: You can take buses 7, 32, 51, 63, 80, 145, and 197, then alight at either North Bridge Road or Victoria Street. 

By Car: There are many parking facilities in the district, mainly at Aliwal Street Car Park, Bussorah Street Car Park, Beach Road Car Park, and several parking slots along Baghdad Street or Jalan Sultan. 

Top Kampong Glam Murals 

Untitled on Piedra Negra

From didierjabamathieu 

Artist: Didier Jaba Mathieu

Location: Piedra Negra, Haji Lane

Piedra Negra on Haji Lane is home to a striking mural by Didier Jaba Mathieu, celebrating Mexico’s Aztec heritage. 

The mural on the restaurant’s side wall showcases colourful portraits of Aztec people during the Spanish conquest, with intricate Aztec symbols and towering, jewel-encrusted figures making offerings from top to bottom.

Mathieu’s mural is credited with helping spark the street art movement in Haji Lane—an influence that’s still felt today!

Kampong Gelam and Satay Club

From yipyewchong 

Artist: Yip Yew Chong

Location: Hotel NuVe, 9 Jln Pinang

Famed local artist Yip Yew Chong took to the streets of Kampong Glam to put up new commissioned pieces at the Hotel Nuve along Jalan Pinang. His Satay Club and Kampong Gelam murals are his two famous works here. 

The Satay Club mural has a street vendor grilling satay, with diners enjoying their meal at a wooden table. In the background, gelam trees nod to Beach Road’s history as the heart of the satay scene, which gave Kampong Gelam its name.

The Kampong Gelam mural, on the other hand, shows a family going about their day, selling beautiful carpets and woven baskets—iconic crafts from Arab Street that have been part of the neighbourhood’s soul for generations.

Faces From the Past

From iamceno2 

Artist: Ceno2 (Mohammad Azlan Ramlan)

Location: 36 Haji Lane

Faces From the Past is one of Kampong Glam’s standout murals. I remember seeing it for the first time, its striking simplicity standing out amid the vibrant graffiti on Arab Street.

Created by Ceno2 (Mohammad Azlan Ramlan), the mural portrays an elderly man in a turban, paying homage to Kampong Glam’s cultural heritage.

The black-and-white palette adds to its quiet power, showcasing Ceno2’s range as an artist. The man’s calm, stoic gaze leaves a lasting impression, making this piece unforgettable.

Alphabatik, Batik Graffiti Series

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmB3bdfv9hY

From slacsatu_znc

Artist: Slac Satu 

Location: Multiple locations across Kampong Glam

Hidden in a quiet alley between Haji Lane and Arab Street, I stumbled upon one of Slac Satu’s captivating works from his Batik Graffiti Series. One of his most iconic works is the Alphabatik, which features colourful patterns, reminiscent of Indonesian batik.

Once arrested for spray-painting walls, Slac Satu has become a prominent figure in Singapore’s street art scene. Another mural from this series, created with his Zinc Nite Crew collective, adds to his legacy of turning rebellion into artistry.

Coffee Story

From yipyewchong

Artist: Yip Yew Chong

Location: 29 Sultan Gate

Coffee Story is another masterpiece by Yip Yew Chong, commissioned by a coffee roaster that once operated in the building where the mural now resides.  

The artwork showcases three coffee makers, each preparing coffee using a different traditional method. It celebrates the evolution of coffee-making while honouring time-honoured techniques.  

On the left, a barista uses the “pull” method, skillfully stretching coffee to enhance its flavour. In the centre, another pours coffee from a long-spouted pot, demonstrating precision and tradition. On the right, a third person works a massive coffee grinder! 

Kampong Jemput

From yipyewchong

Artist: Yip Yew Chong

Location: 78 Arab Street

You can tell by now that I can’t get enough of Yip Yew Chong’s street murals. One of his works along Arab Street is Kampong Jemput which translates to “welcoming village” and features children climbing ladders towards a house at the top. 

The mural is meant to depict how houses back in the 1990s were built. Pulley systems were very common among houses along the street, and the ladders helped residents get better views of the city skyline from the roof or windows of their five-storey homes. 

The Kampong Gelam Mural

From yipyewchong

Artist: Yip Yew Chong

Location: 92 Arab Street

For a glimpse into Kampong Glam’s storied past, look no further than The Kampong Gelam Mural by Yip Yew Chong. This captivating artwork captures the district’s early days by the seafront, back when the iconic Sultan Mosque featured a pyramidal roof.  

The mural vividly depicts traders arriving from across the Malay Archipelago, the Middle East, India, and China, unloading goods and exchanging wares with the locals. 

At the base of the mural, scenes of bustling craftsmen and traders bring the district’s rich history to life.

Kampong Glam Basket Shop

From yipyewchong

Artist: Yip Yew Chong

Location: 58 Arab Street

Another work of Yip Yew Chong is the Kampong Glam Basket Shop, located in the back alley of Arab Street. You can easily spot it if you walk down Baghdad Street because the wicker baskets stand out against the mainly white walls of the buildings there. 

The owner of the house commissioned Chong to paint large wicker baskets as an ode to the many basket-weaving shops that lined the property before they closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. There’s also a cat looking down on you at the corner! 

Bejeweled: A Homage to Kampung Intan

From ts1

Artist: Trase One

Location: 14 Baghdad Street (Taksim Restaurant)

Adorning the side of Turkish Restaurant Taksim is the mural called Bejeweled: a Homage to Kampung Intan by Trase One. Trase One is known as one of the major influences on the budding street art scene in the city, especially in Kampong Glam. 

You’ll find colourful jewels in various shapes and sizes set against a fading black wall. The jewels represent the early jewel and diamond trade that once flourished along Intan Street in the district. 

Artist: Multiple artists

Location: Muscat St

The Gelam Gallery is literally an art gallery located on the outside walls of buildings lining Muscat Street. Here, you’ll find framed works set against a painted mural by various street artists. 

It’s Singapore’s first outdoor gallery featuring both local and international artists. Most of the artworks depict the culture and heritage of Singapore and the Kampong Glam district, so don’t miss out on this unique gallery!

Orang Laut

From didierjabamathieu

Artist: Didier Jaba Mathieu

Location: Cuturi Gallery, 61 Aliwal Street

Orang Laut, meaning “sea people,” is the evocative title of a stunning mural by renowned artist Jaba. Commissioned by Cuturi Gallery in 2021, this artwork graces the back of their building, celebrating the maritime heritage of Kampong Glam.  

The mural features vibrant wooden boats crafted from the bark of the gelam tree, an unofficial namesake of the district. Painted in bold, striking colours, these boats pay homage to the seafaring and shipping legacy that shaped the area’s rich history.

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