In his post, captioned “I think we need to talk...”, he tagged AirAsia and its CEO Tony Fernandes.
SHAH ALAM – A Penang mural, renowned for its distinct symbolism and connection to the city's cultural heritage, has found itself in controversy after being used as an AirAsia plane livery allegedly without the consent of its creator.
Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic, who has been based in Malaysia, brought attention to the issue via his Instagram account, @ernestzacharevic, on Nov 22.
In his post, captioned “I think we need to talk...”, he tagged AirAsia and its CEO Tony Fernandes, expressing his desire to resolve the matter directly with the airline before taking legal action to protect his rights.
“This is not the first time it happens, and it’s time that a corporate giant like AirAsia demonstrates corporate responsibilities and respect for rights of artists and intellectual property,” he added.
He added that his team had also reached out to AirAsia regarding the issue, but it was ‘difficult to get through the many corporate layers to the correct person.’
Zacharevic revealed that was unsure how many of the company’s planes featured his artwork without his consent, but he discovered the unauthorised livery at Penang International Airport on Nov 22 and received no response from AirAsia when he raised the issue.
“We are also hoping that AirAsia will contact me via my studio at ZACH Studio, [email protected] or [email protected],” he said.
Yesterday, it was reported that he vowed that he would go as far as it takes to put a stop to AirAsia using his artwork without consent.
The mural in question, Children on a Bicycle, was painted in 2012 on the streets of George Town, Penang.
It depicts a boy and girl symbolising an idyllic lifestyle, with the boy portrayed in an exaggeratedly mischievous manner.
According to Zacharevic, the artwork was designed to be experienced in its original location, not repurposed as a corporate design without context or his permission.
