“I spent my time & health on it” – Foreign Street Artist Disappointed by Unexplained Removal of Her Mural in KL

As an artist, having your work recognised is one of the greatest achievements one can get, especially when you’ve poured your heart and soul into your art. Artists crave the chance to express themselves authentically, letting their inner thoughts and emotions shine through their creations.

Street artist and muralist @volchkovaart_ took to her Instagram to share upsetting news regarding a mural she had done in the streets of Kuala Lumpur.

Her mural was removed without an explanation

Julia expressed her surprise and disappointment about the sudden removal of her mural art piece. She wasn’t informed or given any explanation for why it was taken down.

She went on to share how deeply upsetting it was for her to witness her work being removed. She described her art as her children, highlighting the considerable time and effort she invested under challenging conditions to complete the mural.

“I spent my time, knowledge and health on the mural”

Julia mentioned that she has been dealing with health issues since she started working on larger, physically demanding projects.

“It’s really strange that they took down the mural because it represents Malaysia’s cultural presence globally, not just locally,” she added.

Unfortunately, she goes on to explain that it’s common for artists to have their works removed. Recalling her early days of painting on the streets 2 decades ago, she remembered how her works were often painted over.

The challenges artists face when creating street art

Julia acknowledged that she understands if her street art from two decades ago were removed for being of poor quality, but reasoned that this recent one was “a fairly good work that all of Malaysia loved”.

“The location of the mural I created was a significant landmark, a tourist attraction where many people visited.”

With that said, she also emphasised that she is aware of the rules of street art:

“If you paint in public spaces, you should expect your work to be painted over.”

Nonetheless, Julia has opened her comment section to ask the public for their opinions about the situation, with many showing her their support.

You can watch the full video down below:

What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments down below!

Also read: This M’sian Village is Being Decorated With Cute & Creative Street Art by An Unknown Group