Cardiff Post Office Garden Mural

The Cardiff Post Office mural initiative received funding from the Lake Macquarie City Council and invited submissions from local artists to represent Cardiff. Following the grant application and concept development phase, I was chosen as one of the artists tasked with creating a digitised artwork for installation on the Post Office building.

My initial assessment of the Cardiff Post Office space sparked a nature-themed design, where the gridded windows reminded me of a garden trellis, and the phrase 'snail mail' inspired the inclusion of native insects.

Wonga Wonga and Native Sarsaparilla flowers sprout from vines formed as the street map of Cardiff. Postage stamps featuring iconic Cardiff landmarks are displayed amongst the vines like artworks, and throughout the vines are an array of native insects local to the region. To include an element of audience interactivity, the mural is designed as a search-and-find activity, enticing viewers to pause in the moment to search and discover a small sample of our local native critters.

The concept for my artwork is about taking the opportunity to slow down, observe and discover the wonderful array of insects that we share our outdoor spaces with, as well as a reflection on the importance of rewilding our urban spaces to support our native fauna and flora.