This steel sculpture can be found on a wall of a shophouse along King Street, part of the Little India area in George Town. The caricature depicts a local ‘Roti Benggali’ (or Benggali Bread) seller and what it means by the word ‘Benggali’. The freshly baked and rather big loaf Benggali bread is popular among the locals here, usually sold from a small makeshift stall on a motorcycle. It was said that the bread derived its name from the word ‘Penggali’, which basically means ‘shareholders’ in Tamil. The bread business was started by an Indian Muslim together with his group of friends (a co-op business) back in the 1930s. Local residents later mistook the name to be ‘Roti Benggali’ and the bread has been called as such ever since.
Tag: steel
Penang Street Art (Queen Street Goldsmith)
A steel rod art sculpture showing a caricature of a traditional Indian goldsmiths who used to set up stalls (by working on a bench) along Queen Street back in the old days.
Penang Street Art (Chulia Lane Trishaw Sculpture)
A steel sculpture caricature depicting a trishaw peddler in George Town, Penang, which is commonly known as ‘beca’ locally.
Penang Street Art (The Little Sparrows)
Steel wall caricature featuring little sparrows flying from a window at a wall of an old building at Stewart Lane in George Town.
Penang Street Art (Handcart Sculpture)
This art caricature made of steel can be found installed at a building along Armenian Street. It depicts how back in the old days, hand-pulled carts are a popular mode of transportation around the port area of the island.
Penang Street Art (Coppersmith’s Street)
A steel caricature wall artwork which tells the reason local Hokkiens also named Armenian Street as the ‘Coppersmith’s Street’ due to a number of Malay folks who set up here to make brass and copper wares.
Penang Street Art (Cannon Street)
A steel rod sculpture depicting how Cannon Street got its name. During the Penang Riots back in 1867 between two major triad factions, cannons were fired upon this area and the street was damaged from holes made by the shots.
Penang Street Art (Love Lane II)
Another new steel rod art sculpture located at Love Lane. This steel rod caricature is newly installed as compared to the one on the opposite side, and it depicts how Love Lane is presently also a popular street known for its budget inns.
Penang Street Art (Nasi Kandar Seller)
This steel rod sculpture located at Ah Quee Street can be found on a wall of an orange restaurant. It depicts how Nasi Kandar was being sold in the old days by Indian Muslims in Penang. The word Nasi Kandar, originated in the old days of Penang when nasi (rice) sellers would balance a kandar pole on their shoulder with two huge containers of rice meals or curry dishes.
Penang Street Art ( A Chingay Procession)
A steel rod sculpture showing caricature of a Chingay Procession, a traditional local Chinese street art performance held annually here. This sculpture can be found at Prangin Road Ghaut.
From the Chingay website;
Chingay originated from China, and the Penang Chinese first performed Chingay in 1919 during deity processions. It is a street art where the performer balances a giant flag that ranges from 25 ft to 32 ft in height and about 60 pounds in weight.
Over the years, the local Chinese has been improvising the Chingay performance. From a basic giant flag balancing by a solo performer, Chingay has developed to a team performance that consists of more than 15 persons in a troupe. Today, Chingay is not only performed by the Chinese, but the art has successfully attracted the Malays and Indians. It has become a very unique multiracial performance.