Canberra art is everywhere: climbing the buildings, sprouting out of the pavement and spreading across the walls, underpasses and even solitary utility boxes. Canberra is the multi-layered, diversely-dimensioned canvas for some very talented artists.
Graffik Paint is committed to the creation of legal street art and its expressive power. Working with a handful of professional street artists the company produces a large portion of the commercial work around Canberra. Graffik Paint also gives classes to teach others the techniques and the beauty of the art, invigorate the new generation of street artists.
In 2013 their work on the Tuggeranong storybook project crossed mediums from painted car parks to photography and the written word integrating street art further into the world of art.
A prolific artist known as Abyss .607 is the creator of Canberra’s seers. Ancient beings scattered around the city, watching both the past and the future. Crazy looking creatures in high contrasted colours of all sizes appear in some very hard to reach places.
Abyss .607 plans the works according to the space, covering walls and circling walkways. Working with mixed media towards the inspiring, curious works that liven up the cityscape and entrance onlookers with mystery. The seers are all over Canberra, spicing up the areas around them.
Some of the more colourful walls can be attributed to Canberra street artist Byrd. Flashes of yellow against purple, red against blue, seeming to writhe, abstract forms flow and expand around corners. Animals and shapes seamlessly meld around pipes and other parts of the building blending invisibly into the art. The works are a sometimes a little strange, quirky and off-the-wall (pun intended) making them perfect for Canberra’s city jungle.
Houl is a Canberra artist with a very distinct style. Sharp lines depict a praying mantis with near bloodshot eyes and a bowtie, whale headed people and a hand with a very lively spray can. Humanoid creatures with animal characteristics stand defiantly against the inner walls of a Kingston café, blending the normal with the abnormal, staring out of the wall. Houl’s work stands out, distinctly well defined and detailed to the point of hyperrealism, appearing almost three-dimensional.
These and many more artists have contributed to the invigorating colour drenching the Canberra region. Imaginative beings crowd together, storming the walls and creeping around the corners. Canberra street art is wonderfully quirky and its artists are prolific.
