Subculture at Cultprint Penang
The term ‘subculture’ can be loosely defined as a group within a larger society that has its own unique ways of expressing identity, existing right at the edges of the mainstream. And it is within this margin that the good stories tend to be.
Cultprint Penang’s latest art showcase, titled Subculture, leans into this idea. Bringing together 20 local and international artists, the group art exhibition invites the curious to step slightly off the mainstream path and wander into the alleys outside the spotlight, to revel in the paintings, photography, sculptures and prints of a quietly blooming culture.
What to expect at Subculture art exhibition?
Eclectic is one way to describe the Subculture exhibition.
Staged inside Cultprint’s heritage house gallery along Lebuh Melayu, the Subculture exhibition launched in tandem with the city’s Penang Long Art Weekend, which sees galleries across various locations in George Town synchronising their exhibitions and events to encourage dialogue within the regional art community.
On view from now till 3rd May 2026, Subculture is a group show that acknowledges how art can grow and blossom through collaboration, conversation, and the occasional productive detour from the mainstream.
With over 50 artworks by 20 prominent artists around the world on display here, the exhibition resembles a lively neighbourhood of perspectives, spanning paintings, sculptures, photography, installation, and prints.
Among the constellation of artworks here, you’ll spot vivid graffiti of street muralist Kenji Chai, the strokes of dynamic, fleeting landscapes by Thai artist Alex Face, miniature figurative sculptures by Spanish artist Isaac Cordial, text-based acrylic frames of local artist Trina Teoh, and even creations by Cultprint’s founder and co-founder, Ernest Zacharevic and Sheena Liam.
Alongside members of the gallery’s existing roster, this exhibition also introduces several new artists, including conceptual Malaysian artist Tep York with his designs printed on T-shirts, local artist Jolene Liam and her delightfully chaotic doodles, as well as Ukrainian mural artist Kuro Neko and his whimsical portraits.
Here’s the complete list of the diverse artists featured:
- Malaysia: Antoine Loncle, Bibichun, Bono Stellar, Cloakwork, Hoo Fan Chon, Kenji Chai, Sheena Liam, Teebai, TAZONE, Trina Teoh, Tep York, Zozo
- Thailand: Alex Face
- Lithuania: Ernest Zacharevic, Trexus
- Spain: Isaac Cordal
- Singapore: Jolene Liam, Sam Lo
- Ukraine: Kuro Neko
- US: Yok & Sheryo
A model of figurines of the gallery’s founders viewing mini art prints inside an old Proton car.
The extremely diverse collection displayed in the exhibition showcases how these contemporary artistic practices present something that’s lived and fundamentally communal, all while sustaining creativity, with each other’s own way of seeing the world through art.
Visit the Subculture group exhibition in Penang
Cultprint’s Subculture exhibition feels perfectly at home, right here in George Town, Penang, a city that embraces and spotlights the niche and overlooked histories, rather than merely just drifting past them. And with the show bringing together artists shaped by different communities, influences, and ways of working, it invites visitors to look beyond the obvious and explore the spaces where culture is being formed.
Admission to the Subculture group art exhibition is free.
Venue: 35 Lebuh Melayu, 10300 George Town, Penang
Date: Now till 3rd May 2026
Time: 12pm-7pm (Fri – Sun)
Contact: Cultprint website | Instagram
Cover image adapted from: The SmartLocal Malaysia
Photography by Jia-Ju.