Col Henry - Meaning
The concept for ‘Meaning’ was to depict the name ‘Kogarah’ which means ‘place of reeds’. This sculpture is a four-metre-tall work made of two types of stainless steel; one mirror polished, and the other a ‘rusted patina’ style developed by artist Col Henry over many years. Although made of metal, the sculpture has been crafted to look like timber reed-like arms with glistening silver tips.‘Meaning’ took four months to sculpt and was installed in August 2013 after the re-launch of the Kogarah Town Centre.Col Henry is a sculptor and artist who has several degrees and diplomas in welding, industrial foundry, panel-beating, and spray painting. He has worked as a full time TAFE teacher before retiring to full time sculpting in 1995. Col works with a variety of mediums to achieve diverse styles. He has a passion for art and sculpture and has become known for his ground-breaking innovations in working materials into new forms. He has been collected by many private collections, both in Australia and overseas.Col Henry has produced three sculptures for the former City of Kogarah, such as ‘Meaning’ in Kogarah Town Centre, ‘Place of Reeds’ in Carss Park Community Garden and ‘Life’s Cycle’ in Henry Hogben Park.
David Cragg - Powerful Owl
Georges River Council teamed up with Art Pharmacy to deliver fifteen works created by four artists on traffic signal boxes in 2020 to be distributed throughout the LGA. Art Pharmacy, who is a leading art consultancy that implements creative visions and cultural projects in Australia, selected four artists who represented a diverse range of styles and cultural backgrounds. These works help brighten up major traffic thoroughfares across the LGA and creates an aesthetically pleasing solution to reduce instances of tagging. The artists’ digital works were printed onto vinyl skins and then installed onto traffic signal boxes.First Nations artist David Cragg celebrated local flora and fauna such as the powerful owl in his illustrative designs.
Col Henry - Life's Cycles
This work titled ‘Life Cycles’ was created through consultation and workshops with HSC students from the local community, which helped develop a theme and style for the sculpture. The sculpture was officially opened during Youth Week in April 2012.Col Henry is a sculptor and artist who has several degrees and diplomas in welding, industrial foundry, panel-beating, and spray painting. He has worked as a full time TAFE teacher before retiring to full time sculpting in 1995. Col works with a variety of mediums to achieve diverse styles. He has a passion for art and sculpture and has become known for his ground-breaking innovations in working materials into new forms. He has been collected by many private collections, both in Australia and overseas.Col Henry has produced three sculptures for the former City of Kogarah; ‘Life’s Cycle’ in Hogben Park, ‘Meaning’ in Kogarah Town Centre, and ‘Place of Reeds’ in Carss Park Community Garden.
Ox King - Artificial Flowers
Ox King has a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours (2007) and has been exhibiting work and painting murals for over nine years in Australia, Mexico and Japan. He is an illustrator and painter, alternating his practice between the studio and large-scale murals, exploring the artificial and the natural world in a modern urban environment.Ox King recently completed a mural on Belgrave Street, Kogarah which was painted in the lead up to the 2023 Un[contained] Arts Festival.This mural is a fusion of traditional graffiti and botanical illustration, drawing inspiration from the local flora in the Georges River area. The artwork creates an aesthetic blend of colour and form that acts as both a decorative piece and draws ties between the modern urban environment and the natural world. The bold use of unnatural colour emphasises our sometimes-disconnected relationship with the natural world. The mural also displays the foundation of the local natural environment in a modern urban area, asking the viewer to pause and reflect on their own place in nature. This is Ox King’s second mural in the Georges River Area, the first was in Riverwood titled Bloom.
Maddison Gibbs - Untitled
Maddison Gibbs is a proud Gunu Baakandji woman, whose identity is central to her art. Maddison is also drawn to including political statements and educational information regarding Aboriginal issues throughout her artwork.Maddison’s mural acknowledges Bidjigal Country and draws inspiration from Kogarah’s name, meaning ‘place of reeds’. The mural features a blend of fish and reeds that represent the use of the Georges River by the Bidjigal people for over 65,000+ years. ‘The waterways are now covered by cement and asphalt. Water is life and it is important to celebrate the success of Aboriginal people having one of the most intricate and sophisticated societies pre colonisation, now we are in the process of reclaiming that culture. By telling the stories of the traditional uses of the river by local Aboriginal people we reclaim and celebrate the oldest living culture in the world and the land on which we stand Bidjigal country’. - Maddison Gibbs
Nastia Gladushchenko - All Together
Nastia Gladushchenko is a mural artist who trained in interior architecture in Sydney, Brussels and Rotterdam before she launched her art practice in 2017. Nastia is drawn to creating ‘ethereal and dreamy’ botanical pieces. Using plant species native to the Kogarah region, Nastia set out to create an artwork along the ground that would encourage rest within the hustle and bustle of city life.Nastia’s artwork features the native plant species Blackthorn, Banksia, Everlasting, Ball Honey Myrtle, Blue Flax Lily, White Salow Wattle, Black She Oak and False Sardaparilla.‘People feel more grounded and relaxed in nature and are also more comfortable and open to relating to each other in amongst elements from the natural world.’ – Nastia Gladushchenko
Bruce Lee - Shunde Municipality
A statue of Bruce Lee was a gift to the former Kogarah City Council from its Sister City, Shunde. Shunde is located within the southern Chinese Province of Guandong. The statue was unveiled in March 2012, and is a replica of a 19-metre-high statue which features in Shunde’s ‘Bruce Lee Paradise’ theme park. Bruce Lee was a Chinese-American martial artist and action film actor. He is widely considered to have been one of the most influential martial artists of all time. Lee was also a pop culture icon of the 20th century and has been credited with helping change the way Asian people are presented in American films. The inscription on the front of the statue reads “Bruce Lee, King of Kung Fu”. Shunde is the ancestral home of Bruce Lee, who died in 1973.Since it was installed in 2012, the Bruce Lee statue has become a feature of Kogarah Town Square. In January 2017, Georges River Council undertook a community engagement project whereby passers-by were asked what the statue meant to them. Photos were taken of the people that participated and their comments captured to form part of an exhibition, which featured in an exhibition ‘A Day in the life of the Bruce Lee Statue: an exhibition of photographs of community members with the Bruce Lee statue’ at Clive James Library, Kogarah. Georges River Council undertook a restoration of the Bruce Lee statue in 2021.
Kogarah Town Square - Takis Kozokos
Fittingly situated in Kogarah Town Square in direct sight of the Greek Orthodox Church and adjacent to the St George Hospital, the Australia and Lemnos memorial statue by renowned Greek sculptor, Takis Kozokos, seeks to honour the incredible courage, bravery and sacrifice of ANZAC soldiers and Australian nurses during the battle for Gallipoli.The island of Lemnos has a special place in Australia’s history as the place where Australian nurses tended to wounded Gallipoli ANZACs, and where some 250 soldiers are now buried. The memorial also acknowledges the vital role the people of Greece, particularly those from the Greek island of Lemnos who supported the Anzacs.‘Australia and Lemnos’ was unveiled on Saturday 4 March 2017. The project was supported by the Australian Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the ANZAC Centenary Local Grants Program.Takis Kozokos sculpted this work while he was a Georges River Artist in Residence. Takis was born in Athens and studied at the Athens Higher Faculty of Fine Arts. He worked as a sculptor-restorer on the Acropolis restoration project between 1990 and 1997 and as a sculptor for the Acropolis Museum.
Merindah Funnell - Where Waters Meet
Merindah Funnell is a proud young Tubba-Gah woman from the Wiradjuri Nation and identifies as a queer Aboriginal artist. This mural is a story of identity, of being Aboriginal and queer, of finding strength and stillness in the places where waters meet, as the Georges River is a place where the saltwater meets the freshwater. Through consultation with Bidjigal Elder Aunty Barb Simms, and Merindah’s use of striking colours and eye-catching design, Merindah acknowledges the Country and land and celebrates First Nations culture. Colours drawn from across the many Pride flags appear throughout the mural, fluid and layered like waterways, celebrating difference while flowing together as one. Through this piece, Merindah brings forward a vibrant expression of First Nations and queer identity, affirming resilience, connection, and pride within our shared community.Next time you visit Clive James Library and Service Centre check out Where Waters Meet!
Freda Chiu - Imagination Garden
Georges River Council is thrilled to announce the unveiling of a new public artwork at Clive James Library & Service Centre, Kogarah, a vibrant story time mural created by award nominated Chinese Australian children’s author and illustrator Freda Chiu.This enchanting artwork, titled Imagination Garden, transforms the library’s children’s area into a magical panorama of vivid plants and flowers, extending the world of the library’s beloved Reading Tree, and aims to create an inspiring, inclusive and welcoming space for young visitors. This vinyl mural features a variety of quirky characters, both original and from well-known fairytales, interwoven among the plants. You may discover a flying cat-dragon, an elephant wearing a teacup on its head, or a snail reading a book as some of the hero characters, and on closer inspection discover the mix of inquisitive children embarking on adventures and reading amongst the garden’s treasures.The artwork, in Freda’s signature styles, incorporates a unique a mix of hand-painted and textured illustrations, brought together in a digital composition that illuminates the windows as you walk into the space. Freda shared her thoughts that “libraries are safe spaces for children to learn and express new ideas, no matter how silly or wacky they may seem, and my illustration aims to encourage and inspire this.”Freda Chiu has illustrated picture books and older children’s novels for major publishers including Penguin Random House, Hardie Grant, Allen and Unwin and Walker Books. In addition to publishing, Freda’s work includes editorial illustration, public art installations, campaigns and retail graphics.Imagination Garden was the winning concept in an open Georges River Public Art Expression of Interest, inviting artists to respond to the themes of learning, knowledge and childhood. The mural was intended to enliven the Clive James Library’s children’s area which is home to weekly Rhyme Times, Story Times and children’s play.Artist statement: As a child of immigrant parents from Hong Kong who grew up in Western Sydney, I am passionate about helping children, especially those from minority backgrounds feel seen and included in my art. Most importantly, I aim to inspire wonder and curiosity… My art is textured, colourful and quirky, and I enjoy working with a traditional mixed media approach to capture the pure uninhibited joy of creating as a child.
Duke Albada - Tin Tin
Duke Albada was inspired by Kogarah’s history as Sydney’s ‘salad bowl’ when she created ‘Tin Tin’. Spread over three levels, visitors can observe the work as they utilise the lifts in Kogarah Town Square. Duke is a is a practicing artist, photographer, and art therapist, with a focus on socially engaged practice. Her work explores relationships within communities, surveying the social and cultural identity in relation to place. Multi-layered stories and topics are conveyed by means of hybrid installations including the location and community participation as a primary element.She has exhibited extensively in Australia, Europe, and the USA. Besides solo exhibitions and art shows, Duke is regularly commissioned by councils, cultural organisations, festivals, architects, and developers. She was a finalist at the prestigious Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award in Melbourne 2008, exhibited several times at Sculpture by the Sea in Sydney and had two collaborative artworks included in the Thessaloniki Biennale.She has a Master of Fine Arts from Monash University, Melbourne in researching audience engagement in the arts, as well as qualifications in Architectural Design from the Rietveld Art Academy in the Netherlands.
Matthew Bramston - Kogarah Pedestrian Tunnel
The pedestrian tunnel located at Kogarah Railway Station is a walkthrough that connects Georges River Council to Bayside Council and the suburb of Carlton. As the bare walls of the walkway were regularly vandalized and required ongoing maintenance from Council’s graffiti removal crews, this location was selected for a colourful mural painted by Georges River Council’s Operations Specialists Matthew Bramston and Dylan Meres, and Operations Leader David Cologon.This design has Japanese influences featuring koi fish, flowers, clouds, and waves, creating a bright and welcoming entrance into the pedestrian tunnel.
Jessica Johnson - Heart
Georges River Council teamed up with Art Pharmacy to deliver fifteen works created by four artists on traffic signal boxes in 2020 to be distributed throughout the LGA. Art Pharmacy, who is a leading art consultancy that implements creative visions and cultural projects in Australia, selected four artists who represented a diverse range of styles and cultural backgrounds. These works help brighten up major traffic thoroughfares across the LGA and creates an aesthetically pleasing solution to reduce instances of tagging. The artists’ digital works were printed onto vinyl skins and then installed onto traffic signal boxes.First Nations artist Jess Johnson’s bold patterns were a contemporary take on utilizing the colours of the Aboriginal flag.
Joel Cameron - Goal
Joel Cameron is a Sydney-based artist inspired by exploring relationships between people, place, and environment. A major motivation is enriching and celebrating communities through art. Joel has exhibited domestically and internationally alongside heading many community-based art workshops. This mural aims to represent all the elements which make the area great by using forms and motifs inspired by sports that are played on the fields fused with the natural habitat and the flora and fauna which inhabit it. Bursts of colour create a fun and welcoming space for people waiting for the bus while improving visibility.This project is proudly funded by NSW Government Graffiti Management Grant (Western Sydney).
Col Henry - Place of Reeds
The concept for this piece was to represent the meaning of the name ‘Kogarah’, which is ‘place of reeds’, as well as themes of growth, sustainable gardening, and health of the community. ‘Place of Reeds’ is a 3.3-metre-tall sculpture made of stainless steel. Col Henry worked in collaboration with local community gardeners to create the sculptural work. This is made from two types of stainless steel that patina to a rusted surface.Col Henry is a sculptor and artist who has several degrees and diplomas in welding, industrial foundry, panel-beating, and spray painting. He has worked as a full time TAFE teacher before retiring to full time sculpting in 1995. Col works with a variety of mediums to achieve diverse styles. He has a passion for art and sculpture and has become known for his ground-breaking innovations in working materials into new forms. He has been collected by many private collections, both in Australia and overseas.Col Henry has produced three sculptures for the former City of Kogarah; ‘Life’s Cycle’ in Hogben Park, ‘Meaning’ in Kogarah Town Centre, and ‘Place of Reeds’ in Carss Park Community Garden.
Matthew Bramston - Under the sea
This work was completed by Georges River Council’s Operations Specialist and professional painter, Matthew Bramston who was inspired by the location close to the water. This particular location was selected as it was regularly vandalised and required ongoing maintenance from Council’s graffiti removal crews. This project is proudly funded by NSW Government Graffiti Management Grant (Western Sydney).
Ma’anshan Municipality - Li Bai
The Li Bai statue was donated by Ma’anshan Municipality, a city in eastern China, to the former Kogarah City Council in 2009 to celebrate their sixth anniversary as sister cities and as a token of their friendship. Li Bai (701 – 762) is known as the ‘Immortal Poet’ in Chinese literature. His poetry stemmed from his practice of Taoism and is renowned for its passion, extravagant imagery, and vivid narration. Made of steel and weighing 800kg, the statue of Li Bai is a focal point in Ma’anshan Friendship Park, and there are inscriptions of his poetry on feature rocks throughout the park.
David Cragg - Woniora Road School Mural
David Cragg’s Woniora Road School mural on King Georges Road in South Hurstville embodies the theme of Country. David’s aim with the mural is to explore the vibrancy and diversity of the Georges River area, highlighting local flora and fauna. The mural project included a workshop with Woniora Road school students to collaborate on images, incorporated into the final mural design.The remnants of the once abundant turpentine – ironbark forests and estuarine wetlands of the Hurstville area have been honoured, as well as locally significant animal species and native reeds, grasses, ground covers and saltbushes. David has noted of his mural design: ‘[it] includes a kookie [kookaburra], a wren and two tawny frogmouths upon branches. The background pattern is a topographic abstraction of nearby sections of the Georges River and the surrounding landmasses. The colours chosen to represent the vibrant red clay in the river valleys, the orange sandstone outcrops, the sparkling river, and the remnant forest areas.’David is a multidisciplinary artist of Irish, Scottish, Bundjalung and Biripi ancestry. His practice encompasses design, murals, fine art, writing, sculpting and photography. He is a trained Graphic Designer and photographer, and self-taught artist and has had 10 solo exhibitions over the last 8 years. He has exhibited work, painted large scale murals, curated public art installations, performed live art, and delivered art-making workshops and mentorship across Australia.
Claudia Damichi - The Meeting Point
Georges River Council teamed up with Art Pharmacy to deliver fifteen works created by four artists on traffic signal boxes in 2020 to be distributed throughout the LGA. Art Pharmacy, who is a leading art consultancy that implements creative visions and cultural projects in Australia, selected four artists who represented a diverse range of styles and cultural backgrounds. These works help brighten up major traffic thoroughfares across the LGA and creates an aesthetically pleasing solution to reduce instances of tagging. The artists’ digital works were printed onto vinyl skins and then installed onto traffic signal boxes.Painter and muralist Claudia Damichi’s distinct geometric style and colour ways gave her signal boxes a unique pop.
Danielle Mate - Bat Caves
First Nations artist Danielle Mate’s murals has brought to life the bat caves at Lower Poulton Park, South Hurstville, and was the first permanent contemporary Aboriginal artwork in the Georges River area. The bat caves are part of the Lower Poulton Park Naturalisation and Habitat Development project. Her striking designs are a contemporary approach incorporating key elements of traditional land and the environment where local bats inhabit. The Georges River Council’s Hurstville Museum and Gallery and the Georges River Public Art Reference Committee chose her work for its ‘energetic use of colour palette… [it] was more thoughtful and tailored to the overall experience of the park, reflecting seasonal and time changes in the bush’.Danielle’s practice reflects her strong Aboriginal connection, drawing on her First Nations aesthetic, place, and cultural perspective to ultimately create a contemporary depiction of the natural environment and local landscapes. Born in Fairfield, Sydney, Mate originates from a line of Aboriginal ancestors, the Murrawarri People of Brewarrina, and the Euahlayi People of Goodooga in north-western NSW. She formally trained as a visual artist at the University of Wollongong, her practice featuring internationally in the private collection of former United States President, Barrack Obama, and in the collection of celebrity Ellen DeGeneres. She has partnered with several Australian brands such as RM Williams, Paramatta Westfield, NRL teams Roosters and Eels, alongside collaborations with GO and Kari Foundations.The Lower Poulton Park Naturalisation and Habitat Development project aims to increase local environmental value by remediating an old depot site to support the connectivity of green corridors, provide habitat refuges and increase the naturalised space for our community. Danielle Mate’s artwork responds to native habitats, the bat caves, bee hotels, rock platforms and bird stands that have been established from repurposed materials to support native fauna populations in the park. Danielle said, “my designs are a bold contemporary reflection on the environment of which the bat caves are now situated. I want the work to be vibrant, playful, colourful and an exciting welcome for visitors to the park and creek.”Georges River Mayor Nick Katris said, “The opening of the Lower Poulton Park will be a proud moment for the entire Georges River community – welcoming the true artistic reflection of Country and making a new home for native wildlife.”
Claudia Damichi - Talk This Way
Georges River Council teamed up with Art Pharmacy to deliver fifteen works created by four artists on traffic signal boxes in 2020 to be distributed throughout the LGA. Art Pharmacy, who is a leading art consultancy that implements creative visions and cultural projects in Australia, selected four artists who represented a diverse range of styles and cultural backgrounds. These works help brighten up major traffic thoroughfares across the LGA and creates an aesthetically pleasing solution to reduce instances of tagging. The artists’ digital works were printed onto vinyl skins and then installed onto traffic signal boxes.Painter and muralist Claudia Damichi’s distinct geometric style and colour ways gave her signal boxes a unique pop.
Alex Grilanc and Janne Birkner - Concrete Jungle
‘Concrete jungle’ explores the idea of an overgrown utopia. It gives viewers a glimpse into a world that they will probably never experience and pushes them away from their day-to-day life. The work is highly detailed and shows a range of flora and fauna hidden within the scene. Concrete jungle was a winner in the 2015 Platform Urban Art Prize.Krimsone (Janne Birkner) is a multidisciplinary artist, focusing mainly on aerosol painting. He grew up in the Blue Mountains and learnt how to spray paint from others around him in the graffiti scene. After moving to Sydney, Krimsone graduated with Honours from the National Art School in Darlinghurst, where he learnt the traditional notions and techniques of fine art. Throughout his course, he painted walls for others and ‘fell in love with the art of mural making’. Krimsone rarely uses a reference for his work and instead likes to explore ideas from his imagination by turning them into physical marks and colours. Alex is originally from Sydney, where he worked and completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours at the National Art School in 2014. Alex’s art involves drawing and painting, and he often uses spray paint to complete large-scale murals. Alex has showcased several exhibitions, has had several cartoons and illustrations published in South Sydney Herald, was Artist in Residence for ‘Orchard Gallery’ in Redfern from 2015 – 2017 and has engaged in numerous other public art programs and projects.
Lawrence Liang, Ali Megahed & TILT - Interwoven
‘Interwoven’ was installed in the transit corridor of the Hurstville Railway Station interchange in April 2023. The work is an imaginative light-based sculptural Installation, that utilises suspended LED lighting and patterned light projections to create a sensory experience and immersive journey along the Ormonde Parade transport hub. The installation transforms the transport hub from a place of waiting to a place of unlimited destinations, synchronised with the rhythm of the urban environment. The LED lighting is a symphony of art and symbolism, configured into straight lines and sweeping forms. Each trail of light represents a map after a corridor of connectivity within Georges River LGA; waterways, arterial roads, railways, traditional trails, and bus routes. The work pays homage to the past, present, and future of the Georges River area, drawing inspiration from the waterways, local flora and fauna and rich First Nations heritage.The work of Sydney-based artist Lawrence Liang (Lawrence Liang Public Art) renowned for immersive audio visual and mixed media sculptures and installations, won the competitive Expressions of Interest process in February 2022 to commission a public artwork for Ormonde Parade. Working with Tilt Industrial Designs to develop, fabricate and install the artwork, ‘Interwoven’ immerses visitors as they walk underneath it, allowing them to experience the ebb and flow rhythm of the artwork, its changing light sequence, and patterns, as they move along the corridor. Lawrence Liang is a first-generation Australian Chinese Artist who has worked under mentors such as Lucy Keeler of Public Art Australia and Aaron Seeto of Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara (Museum MACAN) with a focus now on immersive temporary audio visual and mixed media sculptures and installations as well as permanent public artworks in shared urban spaces. Prior to this project, Lawrence has completed commissioned art projects for Georges River Council’s Un[contained], Vivid Sydney and Sculpture by the Sea.Reminiscent of the network of interconnecting transit systems the installation also takes on an organic and playful dance of light and shadow suggesting possible journeys ahead. You can find ‘Interwoven’ at the Ormonde Parade transport hub capturing the attention of the 60,000 transiting commuters who pass though this intersection daily.
Guiyong Zhu - Eternal Renewal
Georges River Council unveiled a new mural to celebrate the Year of the Snake as a part of Council’s Lunar New Year Festival. This mural titled Eternal Renewal by Zhuzhu (Guiyong Zhu) features an abstract snake, formed by flowing water and mountains spelling ‘2025’. This symbolizes transformation, resilience, and unity and reflects the Georges River and traditional Chinese landscape painting.Zhuzhu is a South Australian artist specializing in large-scale murals and site-specific public art. With over 20 years of painting experience, she brings a masterful understanding of colour, composition, and storytelling to every project. Zhuzhu creates artworks that are both visually striking and deeply connected to their surroundings. Her designs often draw inspiration from natural elements, weaving themes of growth, connection, and community into her work. Each project is thoughtfully tailored to reflect the character of the site while engaging and inspiring diverse audiences. Her work enhances environments, fosters connection, and leaves a lasting impression on all who experience it.In this mural, the snake’s head features intricate patterns of a lotus, Chinese knot, and wintersweet flower which are iconic motifs of Lunar New Year. Created with community in mind, this mural highlights Georges River’s diversity and spirit, serving as a vibrant centrepiece for Lunar New Year celebrations.The coverage of the festival included an interview and podcast episode with SBS Mandarin.Surrounded by koi fish, lotus flowers, and auspicious clouds, the design represents prosperity and good fortune. Chinese calligraphy, ” 蛇年吉祥” (Auspicious Year of the Snake), adds cultural significance, while the red and gold palette evokes wealth and happiness. Created with community in mind, this mural highlights Georges River’s diversity and spirit, serving as a vibrant centrepiece for Lunar New Year celebrations.
Maria Thaddea, Chenxi (Hilda) Zhang, and Penny Zhang - Tatalita
In celebration of Lunar New Year and year of the dragon, a mural entitled Tatalita was installed at Hurstville Interchange Park, Forest Road, Hurstville.This work is a collaborative design from Maria Thaddea, Penny Zhang and Chenxi (Hilda) Zhang who are emerging young artists. This design is rooted in the artists’ respective cultural backgrounds and is an exploration of the intricate connections between identity, nature, and culture.Maria Thaddea is a young Asian-Australian interdisciplinary creative, ethnically Chinese, culturally Chinese-Indonesian-Australian, working on Gadigal Land. Focusing mainly on graphics, experiential spatial design (set design, exhibition curation, staging) and print (screen), her works mainly focus on abstract notions of perception, cultural identity and belonging.Penny Zhang is a queer Chinese Australian designer who works across various disciplines including interaction design, object by hand, illustration, and 3d visualization. Most of her practices are devoted to improving the well-being of animals, the environment and gender equality.Chenxi (Hilda) Zhang is a queer artist, designer and thinker residing and studying on Gadigal lands. She specialises in illustrations, image making and multi-medium practices in the fields of gender, race, and sexuality. Her insights towards human beings, culture, nature, self-identity, and the conversation with the surroundings are reflected through her artworks.Tatalita depicts New Year babies (年画娃娃) riding a dragon paper cut-out (剪紙). The imagery of the babies symbolizes the offspring and new generations of the community, aligning with concepts of hope, future, and forward-looking energy. Representing the 2024 Lunar New Year of the Wood Dragon and drawing from Hurstville’s historical ties to the wood industry, including timber-getters and charcoal-burners, a baby holds a wooden log. The others hold a goldfish and lantern in reference to Hurstville’s current culturally rich scene, and are symbols of hope and prosperity.The artists have incorporated these historical elements as significant symbols in their design, showcasing the suburb’s evolution, as well as painting them in the colours of the Georges River Council logo to further tie the piece geographically.Georges River Council would like to acknowledge SBS Corporation, who was a major sponsor for the 2024 Lunar New Year Festival.
Helen Amanatiadis - Probability of Miracles
Georges River Council teamed up with Art Pharmacy to deliver fifteen works created by four artists on traffic signal boxes in 2020 to be distributed throughout the LGA. Art Pharmacy, who is a leading art consultancy that implements creative visions and cultural projects in Australia, selected four artists who represented a diverse range of styles and cultural backgrounds. These works help brighten up major traffic thoroughfares across the LGA and creates an aesthetically pleasing solution to reduce instances of tagging. The artists’ digital works were printed onto vinyl skins and then installed onto traffic signal boxes.Local Georges River textile artist Helen Amanatiadis reimagined her woven artworks into digital designs for the first time through this project.
David Cragg - Duck Maloi Road
Georges River Council teamed up with Art Pharmacy to deliver fifteen works created by four artists on traffic signal boxes in 2020 to be distributed throughout the LGA. Art Pharmacy, who is a leading art consultancy that implements creative visions and cultural projects in Australia, selected four artists who represented a diverse range of styles and cultural backgrounds. These works help brighten up major traffic thoroughfares across the LGA and creates an aesthetically pleasing solution to reduce instances of tagging. The artists’ digital works were printed onto vinyl skins and then installed onto traffic signal boxes.First Nations artist David Cragg celebrated local flora and fauna such as the powerful owl in his illustrative designs.
MAN.De - Blooming
Mandy Schöne-Salter, aka. MAN.De, is an interdisciplinary artist who works in urban art, photography, and community art. MAN.De has had her work exhibited in shows across Germany and in Australia including ‘See’ Public Art show, Sydney Fringe Festival, K4 in Nürnberg and Photoszene. In Sydney her public art has spanned from Bondi to the Blue Mountains and has captured the imaginiations of onlookers, especially children. Throughout her work, MAN.De explores the perspective of children, and looks to Australian native flora and fauna for inspiration.‘In my artworks, I want to highlight the important relationship between nature and humans by painting local flora and fauna. We need to be reminded of our role as custodians and protect what is left for future generations.’ – MAN.De
Jacek Luszczyk - Miles Franklin
A statue of renowned Australian author Miles Franklin was created in 2003 by sculptor Jacek Luszczyk. This statue is located close to the site of the old council chambers premises where Miles Franklin wrote some of her works. It has been said that her work Back to Bool Bool is partially set in the suburb of Ashville which is assumed to be based on Hurstville at that time.The statue was temporarily removed during the rejuvenation of MacMahon Street courtyard. It has been relocated onto a new plinth on a bench facing the heritage Ritz Hotel, rumoured to have been the early 20th Century Australian author and feminist’s favourite drinking spot.
Keith Stanley - The River Dragon
Keith Stanley is a freelance artist from Sydney, Australia. Harnessing his fascination with the creatures under your bed and monsters in your closet, Keith brings colour to the darkness and nightmares to life. His passion for art stemmed from a young age and has steadily grown into his creative business, Heavy Mental Art. He draws inspiration from music, movies, video games, and personal experiences to create unique and vibrant artworks that tell a story. He has completed Certificate IV in graphic design and continues to challenge himself through new ventures.Keith was selected to paint a live mural at the 2022 Un[contained] Arts Festival which took place on Belgrave Street, Kogarah on 24 – 26 June 2022. At this festival Keith and three other artists painted murals measuring 6m x 2m live across the three nights.Keith painted ‘The River Dragon’ which was inspired by the iconic Georges River Council logo incorporating the colours and design elements. Keith explains ‘a powerful dragon deity called ‘The River Dragon’, symbolizes power, strength, and bringing good luck. Water represents the importance of the Georges River bringing life throughout the area, and a sense of fluidity, surrounded by flora and the flowering Port Jackson Fig leaves, native to eastern Australia and acknowledging the Aboriginal people as the first peoples of Australia’. When the festival came to a close, this mural was relocated within the Local Government Area (LGA) to the MacMahon Street car park, Hurstville.
Jasmine Sarin - Untitled
Jasmine Sarin is a proud Kamilaroi and Jerrinja woman from NSW. Jasmine grew up predominantly on the South Coast in Nowra (Jerrinja and Yuin country) and Wollongong (Dharawal country) but has country influences from Coonabarabran in Central West NSW (Kamilaroi country).Jasmine is a self-taught visual artist and graphic designer, and member of the Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative. Jasmine’s artwork tells the story of her experiences growing up and her ongoing journey in this world. This allows her to bring contemporary methods and concepts to the oldest culture on earth. Jasmine says, ‘I pay my respects to my elders both past and present and acknowledge that the land we all live, work and play on was, is and always will be Aboriginal land’.Jasmine was selected to paint a live mural at the 2022 Un[contained] Arts Festival which took place on Belgrave Street, Kogarah on 24 – 26 June 2022. At this festival Jasmine and three other artists painted murals measuring 6m x 2m live across the three nights.When the festival came to a close, this mural was relocated within the Local Government Area (LGA) to the MacMahon Street car park, Hurstville.
Happy Decay - Untitled
Happy Decay aka Bjarni Wark is a multidisciplinary street artist and digital artist who creates works that are playfully colourful with a splash of quirkiness. Bjarni Wark completed a Fine Arts degree and an Advanced Diploma in Graphic Design and has been working in the creative industry for over 15 years. Today he focuses on mural and illustrative projects and likes working with community focused groups and individuals.Bjarni was selected to draw a live mural at the inaugural Un[contained] Arts Festival which took place on Belgrave Street, Kogarah on 4-6 June 2021. At this festival Bjarni and four other artists created murals measuring 6m x 2m live across the three nights. Bjarni explains that ‘this street artwork is the fusion of two forms of art that I enjoy painting, textural based and block colours while playing on the contrast of the two. Within the artwork they start to merge and overlap becoming one. The work is influenced from urban street art form and traditional print making style of lithography with a tint of bolder style graphics’. When the festival came to a close, this mural was relocated within the Local Government Area (LGA) to the MacMahon Street car park, Hurstville.
Dean St. Baker and Michelle Stewart - Memorial Square Mosaic
In April 2024, Georges River Council officially reopened Memorial Square, which had been included in the Hurstville Revitalisation Project. This project included the installation of new paving, retaining walls, street furniture, and landscaping to improve site aesthetics, usability, and visibility of the retained Memorial Cenotaph. A part of this upgrade included the conservation of two large mosaics which were originally installed in 2004. These works are two circular designs which measure 1.8m in diameter.In 2003, two emerging artists Michelle Stewart and Dean St. Baker of Ian St. Baker Constructions P/L, were selected to develop public art for Memorial Square. Michelle and Dean sought input from a variety of stakeholders such as Hurstville RSL Club, Chamber of Commerce, shopkeepers, and local residents into the design which were to reflect the spirit of the community of Hurstville and the special significance of the Memorial Square site. More than 60 people contributed to this project through arts-based workshops from where the key themes of remembrance, the environment, local history, and community harmony were drawn. The artists then synthesised general comments and specific ideas to deliver an inclusive design which seeks to recognise the past while giving a glimpse into the future.Council was able to invite Dean St. Baker back 20 years later to carry out conservation work to repair the circular mosaic works ready for the unveiling of the refurbished Memorial Square.
Styna - Rejuvenate
Christina Huynh is an award-winning illustrator and muralist based in Western Sydney, Australia, that paints under the name STYNA. Her art practice involves creating murals, illustrations, and picture books from differing mediums of pencil, watercolour, ink, and pen, to acrylic and aerosol.With an enthusiasm for goldfish and all things fragile in our natural world, Christina creates stories that express her everyday thoughts, experiences, and childhood memories. She finds inspiration in storytelling, human emotion, wayfaring and the heritage of people and place.Upon completing her studies for a Bachelor of Design (Visual Communication) at Western Sydney University in 2011, Christina has been involved in various public art projects, including the Canal to Creek Public Art Program in 2020, one of Australia’s most extensive public art programs as well as illustration projects, including illustrating ‘Grandma’s Treasured Shoes’ by Coral Vass and published by the National Library of Australia in 2019. Christina works with local councils and schools focusing on art-for-purpose and place-based projects and collaborations.Christina was selected to paint a live mural at the 2022 Un[contained] Arts Festival which took place on Belgrave Street, Kogarah on 24 – 26 June 2022. At this festival Christina and three other artists painted murals measuring 6m x 2m live across the three nights.Christina created the work ‘Rejuvenate’. Rejuvenate, means to restore, renew, refresh. The work is inspired by the 2002 American meta-comedy drama, ‘Adaptation’, directed by Spike Jonze, and the 1998 non-fiction novel, ‘The Orchid Thief’ by American Journalist Susan Orlean. There are two types of orchids featured, both endangered species, the Wyong Sun Orchid with a more bulbous shape and rounded petals that are violet blue in colour, and the Pale Yellow Doubletail a more fragile-looking, butterfly-like bloom, with yellow petals tinged with magenta.When the festival came to a close, this mural was relocated within the Local Government Area (LGA) to the MacMahon Street car park, Hurstville.
Pilar Basa - Untitled
In Pilar Basa’s own words, she is silly. She likes to draw, paint, create and muse about things that will make people smile. Growing up in Sydney, Pilar takes inspiration from life under the sun and the many wonderful people and things that make Australia home.Whether it be a classic Aussie bush scene, the smallest of bugs, a delicious home-style Filipino meal or magpies driving a rally car, she believes that we can find beauty in everything that surrounds us, and that just a calm moment or a tickle of hilarity is the key to enjoying this whole heartedly.Pilar was selected to paint a live mural at the 2022 Un[contained] Arts Festival which took place on Belgrave Street, Kogarah on 24 – 26 June 2022. At this festival Pilar and three other artists painted murals measuring 6m x 2m live across the three nights.Pilar’s mural featured three ibises with elements of her Polish-Filipino background entwined with Australian flora.When the festival came to a close, this mural was relocated within the Local Government Area (LGA) to the MacMahon Street car park, Hurstville.
Chrissy Lau - Fun Rabbit, Fun Rabbit, Fun, Fun, Fun
Chrissy Lau is an award-winning British Born Chinese artist based in Sydney. Chrissy is a multi-disciplinary artist designing with artistic excellence and appreciation of her Chinese heritage, working in several mediums including pen & ink, digital design & animation and large-scale painting. Chrissy creates mesmerising, intriguing commercial and public art through patterns and lines that hold deeper symbolism and cultural integrity.Her designs are inspired by her Chinese heritage and are instantly recognisable by her signature delicate lines, masses of flowing hair & intricate patterns. She graduated from the University of Sheffield with a Bachelor of Laws, but her real passion is all things creative. Chrissy has been a commercial illustrator since 2002, during that time she has worked as an art gallery manager, online content producer and search engine marketing manager (Winner of the IAB Search Marketing Campaign of the Year 2011). Her design ‘Fun Rabbit, Fun Rabbit, Fun, Fun, Fun’ was the winning design to feature at Hurstville Interchange Park, Forest Road for Georges River Council's 2023 Lunar New Year Festival.This design features 8 lucky Feng Shui rabbits leaping, dancing and celebrating the LNY. They are adorned with lucky red and gold colours and auspicious LNY imagery – new clothes, gold ingots, dumplings, coins, mandarins, lanterns and Red envelopes. It’s inspired by the ‘Feng Shui eight horse painting displayed to bring recognition, fame, dynamism, victory, and promotion in your life and career. The eight life careers represent the eight aspirations of life: recognition, children, health, career, personal development, education, marriage, and happiness’.With the conclusion of 2023, this mural has been relocated to MacMahon Street Car Park.
Dean St. Baker and Michelle Stewart - Memorial Square Mosaic
In April 2024, Georges River Council officially reopened Memorial Square, which had been included in the Hurstville Revitalisation Project. This project included the installation of new paving, retaining walls, street furniture, and landscaping to improve site aesthetics, usability, and visibility of the retained Memorial Cenotaph. A part of this upgrade included the conservation of two large mosaics which were originally installed in 2004. These works are two circular designs which measure 1.8m in diameter.In 2003, two emerging artists Michelle Stewart and Dean St. Baker of Ian St. Baker Constructions P/L, were selected to develop public art for Memorial Square. Michelle and Dean sought input from a variety of stakeholders such as Hurstville RSL Club, Chamber of Commerce, shopkeepers, and local residents into the design which were to reflect the spirit of the community of Hurstville and the special significance of the Memorial Square site. More than 60 people contributed to this project through arts-based workshops from where the key themes of remembrance, the environment, local history, and community harmony were drawn. The artists then synthesised general comments and specific ideas to deliver an inclusive design which seeks to recognise the past while giving a glimpse into the future. Council was able to invite Dean St. Baker back 20 years later to carry out conservation work to repair the circular mosaic works ready for the unveiling of the refurbished Memorial Square.
Peter Day - Stories from the Street
As the Artistic Director of the award-winning Peter Day Environmental Art + Design, Peter creates murals, sculptures, ceramics, mosaics, and urban design projects, specialising in site-specific public art. He has created over 200 works in Australia and overseas and has been making art professionally for over 45 years. His personal works have been shown in over thirty solo shows and grace many public and private collections in Australia and overseas, including the Department of Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth Bank, five universities, and a few regional galleries.Georges River Council (then Hurstville City Council) commissioned Peter Day to create a work that would reduce instances of graffiti on the newly built Hurstville Bus Interchange. Consultation and engagement with young people of the area was a key element of this project and helped inform the final work as they were identified as frequent users of the interchange. This community engagement allowed the work to be reflective of local contemporary youth experience and culture, with young people while lifting the feel of the bus interchange, making it a safe, colourful, and accessible place to be.Peter consulted with the young people of Hurstville which included Council’s Youth Advisory Committee, school children utilising the bus stop, those that attend youth centres, members of a young writers’ group, and participants of a young offenders’ program. One interaction that stayed with Peter during the consultation process was one young man who felt the young people of the area weren’t respected. This inspired Peter to include the word ‘Respect’ in the central position of the design in a mirror polished stainless-steel material.The text and drawings featured throughout the artwork were developed as a part of a progressive writing workshop with the young writers’ group in the Hurstville Library. This consultation helped shape and create a collaborative work that reflected the various experiences of young people living in the area.
Hurstville Library - Abbey Rich
Abbey Rich is a multidisciplinary artist who works across walls, canvas, and the body. Their fresh and vibrant artwork has been featured in numerous private, commercial, and local government projects in Victoria, Queensland, and New South Wales. Abbey is drawn to human relationships with each other, and their environments and they explore this dynamic through various visual means within their work.Abbey is particularly interested in facilitating accessible public art. They explain ‘as an artist coming into someone else’s space it is my responsibility to be respectful, to create a relevant artwork to the local community, to share authorship and to facilitate the community sharing stores’. Abbey held a community workshop at the library where local children drew flora and fauna on, and it was the products of this workshop that Abbey drew inspiration from to create the murals for the community. Various aspects of the drawings were translated by Abbey into their unique style, whilst still maintaining the hand of the original artists.
Beastman - Rivalry
This work created by Bradley Eastman, aka. Beastman was inspired by the function of the Norm O'Neill Cricket Training Facility, located in Penshurst. Beastman wanted to incorporate a sport them and used white lines to split the composition in the same way lines are used on sport fields. He explains ‘I also tried to incorporate cricket through including some cricket stumps and included the motion of a cricket ball. I emphasised the concept of competition through the two human head profiles as if they are facing or versing each other’. The colour palette of the mural responds to the greens in the park, blues from the playground, greys from the existing building and pops of yellow and red to add vibrancy.Beastman is a multidisciplinary artist who creates colourful and abstract geometric artworks. His works have resonated with many around the world, having exhibited and curated exhibitions internationally. His works have been acquired by the National Gallery of Australia and his murals can be viewed all around Australia and the world, including New Zealand, Hong Kong, Dubai, Israel, and England. He has exhibited in Sydney, Melbourne, Bali, Berlin, New York, and Detroit.Beastman was born in Sydney, Australia and studied graphic design in the 1990s, but has never had any formal training in art or painting. He is heavily influenced by nature, biodiversity, symbolism, and geometric design. Beastman is inspired by the nature of human intervention in nature and often explores possible future environments within his work.
Keith Stanley - Oasis
Georges River Council recently installed two new outdoor table tennis tables at Peakhurst Park and Pole Depot Park. Artist, Keith Stanley, was commissioned by Council to paint bright and colourful designs on both tables to bring a sense of fun and creativity to the tables and the surrounding park landscape. Stanley was inspired by the Georges River and has included a blue stream of water down the middle of both designs. The artworks feature surreal underwater and solar system scenes. Stanley commented that ‘the design of blue stream in my artwork represents the Georges River, while the characters represent space, clarity and insight’.Stanley also worked with Jennifer Tyler from the Headspace Youth Advocate Group (YAG) to design characters for the tables. Together, they designed a cockatoo and spider, both in space helmets playing video games to symbolise staying connected with friends and family, an artistic eel representing partaking in new hobbies, and a martial artist turtle, symbolising maintaining a healthy lifestyle.The table tennis tables form part of a growing collection of public artworks that Council has commissioned since the adoption of the Create Georges River Cultural Strategy 2019 and Public Art Policy in 2020. Council’s aim for installing public art is to revitalise the urban environment with colour, texture, creativity, and cultural engagement. The table tennis tables are a permanent feature and Council hopes they will bring enjoyment to all in the community.
Claudia Damichi - Walk This Way
Georges River Council teamed up with Art Pharmacy to deliver fifteen works created by four artists on traffic signal boxes in 2020 to be distributed throughout the LGA. Art Pharmacy, who is a leading art consultancy that implements creative visions and cultural projects in Australia, selected four artists who represented a diverse range of styles and cultural backgrounds. These works help brighten up major traffic thoroughfares across the LGA and creates an aesthetically pleasing solution to reduce instances of tagging. The artists’ digital works were printed onto vinyl skins and then installed onto traffic signal boxes.Painter and muralist Claudia Damichi’s distinct geometric style and colour ways gave her signal boxes a unique pop.
Sam Absurd - Creativity Uncontained
Creativity Uncontained is a fun and interactive mural injecting colour in Taylor’s Reserve, Lime Kiln Bay Road, Lugarno. This work by artist Sam Absurd was originally painted live at the 2024 Uncontained Arts Festival.Imaginative characters and vibrant patterns burst forth in this colourful illustrative mural. Designed for interactive photography, it invites viewers to stand before it, creating the illusion of their minds unleashing creative energy.This dynamic artwork captures the essence of imagination, celebrating the boundless potential within each individual – uncontained creativity. Sam Absurd is a Korean-Australian artist, working in graffiti, street art, and branching out into multidisciplinary works. He is inspired by logical paradoxes and the absurd which stems from his mathematical background, and passion for nature and philosophy.With background experience as a youth worker, Sam also dedicates his time to passing on his expertise to the next generation. Sam’s unwavering commitment to both his art and his community makes him an authentic advocate for the arts in Western Sydney and beyond.
Karri McPherson - Untitled
Karri McPherson is a contemporary painter and mural artist based near Newcastle, New South Wales. She graduated from the University of Southern Queensland with a Bachelor of Creative Art with First Class Honours. Karri has been involved in over 40 exhibitions throughout Australia and the United States and has won several major prizes including the Emerging Artist Award at GraduArt (USQ) in 2017 and the Biennial Emerging Artist Award at the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery in 2018.Each of Karri’s murals are site-specific, meaning she responds to the unique characteristics of a place to inform the mural’s design. Within her mural work, Karri explores how art can transform an interior or exterior space. Karri specialises in hard-edge geometry which forms crisp hard lines throughout her vibrant compositions.‘By using a combination of vibrant colours, whimsical shapes and intriguing patterns, this mural warmly welcomes visitors to the Early Learning Centre, inviting them to experience a sense of wonderment and discovery before entering the centre’. – Karri McPherson
Jessica Johnson - Dingo
Georges River Council teamed up with Art Pharmacy to deliver fifteen works created by four artists on traffic signal boxes in 2020 to be distributed throughout the LGA. Art Pharmacy, who is a leading art consultancy that implements creative visions and cultural projects in Australia, selected four artists who represented a diverse range of styles and cultural backgrounds. These works help brighten up major traffic thoroughfares across the LGA and creates an aesthetically pleasing solution to reduce instances of tagging. The artists’ digital works were printed onto vinyl skins and then installed onto traffic signal boxes.First Nations artist Jess Johnson’s bold patterns were a contemporary take on utilizing the colours of the Aboriginal flag.
Melissa Ya - Leisure
Georges River Council teamed up with Art Pharmacy to deliver fifteen works created by four artists on traffic signal boxes in 2020 to be distributed throughout the LGA. Art Pharmacy, who is a leading art consultancy that implements creative visions and cultural projects in Australia, selected four artists who represented a diverse range of styles and cultural backgrounds. These works help brighten up major traffic thoroughfares across the LGA and creates an aesthetically pleasing solution to reduce instances of tagging. The artists’ digital works were printed onto vinyl skins and then installed onto traffic signal boxes.Artist Melissa Ya created bright and colourful designs that responded to the location of her traffic signal boxes such as Penshurst Library and Peakhurst Public School.
Dillon MacEwan - Knucker
To celebrate the opening of the newly constructed skatepark and netball court precinct at Olds Park, Penshurst, a dragon sculptural titled Knucker was unveiled. Knucker was designed and created by Dillon MacEwan. He is a master robotics and mechatronics engineer, who specialises in large-scale installation, kinetic sculpture, pyrotechnics, and special effects for the film industry. He has worked with and created works for the legendary Mutoid Waste Company, Arcadia, Walking with Dinosaurs, Sculpture by the Sea, Stalker Theatre Co., and most recently for Mad Max: Furiosa. His works have been described as being the product of creative and construction genius.Dillon’s skills are demonstrated in his latest work, which incorporates parts of skateboards and bicycles, as well as the metal from the original 1970s ramps from the skate park. The sculpture references to the history of the park while also linking in with the skateboards and bikes that riders will be using today.The urban landscape of the precinct as well as the dragon sculpture was inspired by the logo of Georges River Council. The dragon has several meanings as it represents both the future and past of the area, it references the legend of Saint George, as well as being a Chinese cultural symbol that represents prosperity, good luck and a rain deity that fosters harmony. The dragon symbolism is referenced throughout the park with the sculpture as well as spines features dotted throughout the park.Artist statement:omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illisToday is a good day;every broken bone, every shred, every stack, every bail, every cracked deck… they’ve all let up to this moment.This day. The last shimmering moment of then, the first moment of everything that is yet to happen.Everything changes, nothing is destroyed, nothing stays the same.KNUCKER is for the grommets, the geezers, the rippers, and the thrashers; for those who have gone before, and those that left to soon Mutate and Skate
Melissa Ya - Play
Georges River Council teamed up with Art Pharmacy to deliver fifteen works created by four artists on traffic signal boxes in 2020 to be distributed throughout the LGA. Art Pharmacy, who is a leading art consultancy that implements creative visions and cultural projects in Australia, selected four artists who represented a diverse range of styles and cultural backgrounds. These works help brighten up major traffic thoroughfares across the LGA and creates an aesthetically pleasing solution to reduce instances of tagging. The artists’ digital works were printed onto vinyl skins and then installed onto traffic signal boxes.Artist Melissa Ya created bright and colourful designs that responded to the location of her traffic signal boxes such as Penshurst Library and Peakhurst Public School.
Keith Stanley - Oasis
Georges River Council recently installed two new outdoor table tennis tables at Peakhurst Park and Pole Depot Park. Artist, Keith Stanley, was commissioned by Council to paint bright and colourful designs on both tables to bring a sense of fun and creativity to the tables and the surrounding park landscape. Stanley was inspired by the Georges River and has included a blue stream of water down the middle of both designs. The artworks feature surreal underwater and solar system scenes. Stanley commented that ‘the design of blue stream in my artwork represents the Georges River, while the characters represent space, clarity and insight’.Stanley also worked with Jennifer Tyler from the Headspace Youth Advocate Group (YAG) to design characters for the tables. Together, they designed a cockatoo and spider, both in space helmets playing video games to symbolise staying connected with friends and family, an artistic eel representing partaking in new hobbies, and a martial artist turtle, symbolising maintaining a healthy lifestyle.The table tennis tables form part of a growing collection of public artworks that Council has commissioned since the adoption of the Create Georges River Cultural Strategy 2019 and Public Art Policy in 2020. Council’s aim for installing public art is to revitalise the urban environment with colour, texture, creativity, and cultural engagement. The table tennis tables are a permanent feature and Council hopes they will bring enjoyment to all in the community.
David Cragg - Gymea Lillies
Georges River Council teamed up with Art Pharmacy to deliver fifteen works created by four artists on traffic signal boxes in 2020 to be distributed throughout the LGA. Art Pharmacy, who is a leading art consultancy that implements creative visions and cultural projects in Australia, selected four artists who represented a diverse range of styles and cultural backgrounds. These works help brighten up major traffic thoroughfares across the LGA and creates an aesthetically pleasing solution to reduce instances of tagging. The artists’ digital works were printed onto vinyl skins and then installed onto traffic signal boxes.First Nations artist David Cragg celebrated local flora and fauna such as the powerful owl in his illustrative designs.
Ox King - Bloom
This mural is titled Bloom by Steven Nuttall, also known as Ox King. Originally from the UK, Ox King moved to Australia when he was 11 years old and lived closed to the plaza where the mural is located. He wanted to ‘create a mural that expresses my history and love for Hurstville […] and [I] would be very proud to give back to the area with my work’.Ox King has a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours, and has been exhibiting work and painting murals for over nine years in Australia, Mexico, and Japan. He is an illustrator and painter, alternating his practice between the studio and large-scale murals, exploring the artificial and the natural world in a modern urban environment.This mural is part of the Riverwood Reconnected project, which seeks to leverage Riverwood’s existing assets and bring about new opportunities to improve amenity in the centre.Depicted in the mural are several native plants indigenous to the Riverwood area. Ox King selected rare plants that are listed as an endangered populations in NSW, hoping to raise awareness of local residents to these species. He notes ‘the central cluster represents the Gosford Wattle (Acacia prominens), the flowers and buds at the top of the mural represent the Magenta Lilly Pilly (Syzygium paniculatum), these are framed either side by the more common Sydney Golden Wattle (Acacia longifolia)’. He also included Blue Banded Bees (Amegilla), which are native to Australia, as the artist states ‘the bee’s interaction with the plants helps them pollinate and thrive much like the actions of local councils help preserve the natural beauty of the local area’.
Amanda Newman - Generations in Bloom
Amanda Newman is a mural artist and sign writer originally from New York, now residing in Melbourne, Australia. Her focus is on large scale portraiture projects in the public realm and photorealistic hand painted advertisements. Newman uses her street art murals to bring attention to relevant societal issues. Amanda was inspired by Thurlow Community Hub’s mission of facilitating connection between its community members, and wanted to design a mural that celebrated the diversity and inclusivity of the community, as well as depicting knowledge sharing between generations – which is what Thurlow Community Hub is all about.
Helen Amanatiadis - The Golden Scroll
Georges River Council teamed up with Art Pharmacy to deliver fifteen works created by four artists on traffic signal boxes in 2020 to be distributed throughout the LGA. Art Pharmacy, who is a leading art consultancy that implements creative visions and cultural projects in Australia, selected four artists who represented a diverse range of styles and cultural backgrounds. These works help brighten up major traffic thoroughfares across the LGA and creates an aesthetically pleasing solution to reduce instances of tagging. The artists’ digital works were printed onto vinyl skins and then installed onto traffic signal boxes.Local Georges River textile artist Helen Amanatiadis reimagined her woven artworks into digital designs for the first time through this project.
Jessica Johnson - Path
Georges River Council teamed up with Art Pharmacy to deliver fifteen works created by four artists on traffic signal boxes in 2020 to be distributed throughout the LGA. Art Pharmacy, who is a leading art consultancy that implements creative visions and cultural projects in Australia, selected four artists who represented a diverse range of styles and cultural backgrounds. These works help brighten up major traffic thoroughfares across the LGA and creates an aesthetically pleasing solution to reduce instances of tagging. The artists’ digital works were printed onto vinyl skins and then installed onto traffic signal boxes.First Nations artist Jess Johnson’s bold patterns were a contemporary take on utilizing the colours of the Aboriginal flag.
