Abroad
Artist files lawsuit against AirAsia over use of Penang mural on plane livery without permission
He is seeking an injunction as well as appropriate monetary compensation.
February 10, 2026, 03:37 PM
The Lithuania-born, Penang-based artist Ernest Zacharevic has filed a lawsuit against the budget carrier AirAsia for using his renowned Penang mural on their plane livery, allegedly without permission.
He hopes the lawsuit, which alleges copyright infringement, will lead to an injunction against further unauthorised use of his work.
The mural in question is the popular "Children on Bicycle", which Zacharevic painted along a wall in Penang's George Town in 2012 as part of a festival's art programme.
'Children on Bicycle'
In the lawsuit, AirAsia Berhad and parent company Capital A Berhad are named as defendants, MalayMail reported.
In a statement, Zacharevic said that the unauthorised reproduction of his work was not an isolated incident, and alleged that the airline had repeatedly used them in various promotional campaigns since 2016.
In January 2025, Zacharevic made an Instagram post featuring images of the mural being used on various marketing collateral from AirAsia.
“These uses took place without my permission, without licensing arrangements, without payment of royalties or licence fees, and without crediting me as the artist,” he said, according to MalayMail.
Apart from an injunction, the artist is also seeking to have his rights as the work's artist recognised, an order for the removal and destruction of infringing materials, as well as appropriate monetary compensation, The Star reported.
Plane livery
The artist first announced in his January 2025 Instagram post that he would be pursuing legal action against the airline over the mural's unauthorised use after seeing it on a plane's livery.
He said he attempted to resolve the matter "fairly and professionally" with AirAsia.
However, he accused AirAsia of dragging its feet through a pattern of issuing statements, denying past infringements and prolonging discussions.
Zacherevic also turned down the airline's final offer as he found that it failed to reflect the value of his work.
He did not elaborate on the details of the offer.
In July and August 2025, Zacherevic held an art exhibition to advocate for intellectual property rights.
ttps://mothership.sg/2025/01/artist-sue-airasia-usage-penang-mural/
Top image via Ernest Zacharevic / Instagram
