“The Early Mercers” Street Art at India Street Kuching

The India Street is famous for its textile and fabric. In this massive three story tall street mural tells the story of two pioneer textile traders of India Street Kuching in the 30s .

Type : Street Mural art, full sized wall painting beside buildings.

Location : India Street of Kuching City, nearby the rear entrance of Plaza Merdeka, beside the old courthouse building of Kuching city.

Latitude : 1.5592277360610902

Longitude : 110.34426569938661

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Mural Completion date : September 2018

Mural Artist : Leonard Siaw (萧全成）#siawtistic . Leonard Siaw is a Sarawakian mural artist who have championed an international street mural competition and famous for many mural arts around Kuching City. Do look out for his amazing creation around when you visit Kuching City.

This mural is the first Historical Augmented Reality Street Art in Borneo to boost local tourism by having history drawn on the walls in form of Mural Street Art. It is part of the “History on the Wall Series” of the Old Kuching Heritage Trail.

About India Street of Kuching City

India Street of Kuching City is a place of cultural and historic importance. It signify a cross culture entity that stays in unity and harmony. Here lies the creation of the mid 19th century, with rows of shop selling all kinds of goods from grocery, spices, merchandise and particularly famous for its textiles and fabrics.

With a history of more than 140 years, it has been the place where many of the Kuchin’s first Indian settlers entered Kuching grounds from Sarawak river and made residence in the shop houses. It is located neighboring the Chinese community and shop houses. It was previously known as Kling Street, which is a local Chinese saying of India Street.

The India street was converted into a pedestrian mall in 1992 and had been a famous tourist spot since then. The addition of the tall arch canopy along the streets allow tourist to walk along the historic street and get shaded from rain and hot sunlight. The pedestrian mall had now becomes a bazaar filled with stalls selling traditional clothing, ornaments and local delicacies.

There is also a small Indian Mosque hidden in the middle of the shop houses, which was originally built by Kuching’s Indian Muslim community.

The Early Mercers Street Art

The Early Mercers Street Art depict two pioneer textile traders in the 30s – Wee Aik Oh & Sayed Ahmad. Textile trading is one of the oldest and most important industry in the early days here. Majority of the traders around here are mainly run by Chinese and Indian (Indian Muslims).

The mural is simple and descriptive, tells the story that India street is once famous for its textile trading.

It also tells the multicultural essence of Kuching City, where different races can stay together in one place in harmony, engaging same trade or business.

The Chinese trader on the left holding a simple classic bicycle from the early days, with stack of textile behind the basket behind the bicycle. The Indian trader on the right unfolds a red colored textile with free fall till the ground.

The choice of color for the mural is simple but have great contrast in between, making the image appears standing out from the street. The mural cleverly merge in harmonious with the windows of the building, and the unfolding textile appears moving in the wind. It is a mural that most people will comfortable with.

The mural art is easily seen when you are at the India street rear end, near the rear entrance of Plaza Merdeka. Don’t forget to have a photo shoot with this historical mural on walls. Have a walk along India street and amazed by their amazing collection of textile and fabric from Indian sari to Malay kebaya.