Yahong Art Gallery, Batu Ferringhi: what to expect from a visit

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Located on the busy tourist road running through Batu Ferringhi, Yahong Art Gallery is an unexpected treat, housing an eclectic mix of art, antiques and crafts. But it’s the Batik Painting gallery on the top floor that’s the real drawcard and what makes this such a recommended addition to any Batu Ferringhi itinerary.

Batik painting traces its origins to Penang in the 1950s when Chuah Thean Teng began combining the ancient artform of batik with more modern painting methods. As it flourished and evolved over subsequent years, the pieces became much sought-after and Thean Teng and his family travelled around the world promoting this new style.

The Yahong Art Gallery, still run by the family, is the companion gallery to the Batik Painting Museum in George Town and if you manage to visit both, you’ll build a full picture of the history and evolution of batik painting in Penang.

Where to find Yahong Art Gallery

Yahong Art Gallery isn’t in the most inspiring of locations, certainly nowhere near as atmospheric as its sister gallery in George Town. Instead, the gallery is located on the main road running through Batu Ferringhi, fighting for space amongst the traffic, restaurants and tourist shops.

If you’re not staying in Batu Ferringhi itself, you can easily take a Grab car or jump on the 101 or 102 buses that travel from George Town to Penang National Park via Batu Ferringhi.

Opening times and entry fees

Yahong Art Gallery is open from 10.00am to 6.00pm six days a week (closed on Sundays).

Entrance to the gallery is free of charge.

What to expect from your visit to Yahong Art Gallery

The gallery is laid out across two floors, and is a fascinating mix of antiques store, craft market and hidden art gallery.

On the lower floor are hundreds of objects for sale, ranging from intricate masks, Buddha statues, ceramics, paintings and old guide books. It’s slightly confusing when you first arrive, especially if you’re simply expecting an art gallery.

Some of the items for sale wouldn’t look out of place at a second-hand shop, others are the most unexpected treats. If you have enough time to browse, you’ll probably come up with something special.

Once you’ve finished browsing downstairs, head up the stairs onto the higher level. It’s not immediately obvious but behind the curtains is a room stacked full of magical batik paintings, probably one of the best collections anywhere in the world. Unlike at the George Town gallery, the paintings here are sometimes neatly on display and elsewhere haphazardly placed on the floor, as if the owners ran out of space.

Many of the paintings aren’t for sale, some of the others are available at over RM80,000 (£15,000). Some of the best pieces are hidden several layers deep propped up against a wall, others are carefully displayed on the far wall with lights shining behind them. It’s likely you’ve never been to an art gallery like it.

Chuah Thean Teng sadly passed away in 2008 but his son, Chuah Siew Teng, is an expertly skilled artist, and many of his paintings are on display. If you’re lucky, he may even appear in the gallery and give you an impromptu tour of his work. If you can’t quite afford one of the major pieces, there are plenty of prints and smaller paintings for a lower price.

Is it worth visiting Yahong Art Gallery

A visit to Yahong Art Gallery is absolutely worth your time, it really is an art gallery like no other. Slightly less organised and curated than the one in George Town, the upstairs level feels as if you’ve been let into someone’s private studio, albeit a collector who fell in love with batik painting and ran out of space to display them all.

The shop downstairs sells a large range of hit and (occasionally) miss treasures, but you’re almost guaranteed to stumble across something that takes your fancy. But it’s the art gallery on the top floor that will live longest in your memory.