Now adults, children who inspired Penang’s iconic murals 12 years ago reunite with the artist

Mr Zacharevic, who was part of the group, had brought a red bicycle with him.

The kids loved the adult bike, and even though it was too big for them, that didn’t stop them from climbing on it.

“We saw the bike and enjoyed climbing on it. I vaguely remember thinking how we could ride it and whether we could go fast on it. We were playing and laughing,” said Tan Yi.

Tan Kern, now 15, said Mr Zacharevic then took a photo of them, which became the source of the famous mural.

“It was a candid shot,” the teen added.

In both the photo and the mural, Tan Kern sits on the back and hugs his sister tightly, his eyes closed and his mouth open in excitement, while a smiling Tan Yi’s legs dangle above the pedals.

The siblings’ father, Mr Adrian Tan, said Mr Zacharevic told him he wanted to paint the children as part of his series of murals on the streets of Penang.

“I said ‘why not’. It resonates with all of us – this pure innocence, which is why the mural is so popular with people,” Mr Tan said.