Art knows no bounds, and the way that genuinely well thought-out, solid street art has transformed vacant walls across Australia has revitalised even the most trash-ridden alleyways into legit works of art.
If you’re ever going to trek around for a day of hunting out street art from some of the more revered names in Aus, then make sure you add these folks to the list.
MULGA
A little bit psychedelic and very bright, Mulga encapsulates a supremely chill vibe into his work. You’ve probably spotted one of his sunglasses-wearing, beard-having weirdo characters around the traps, as his flamboyant and eccentric pieces have been cropping up across Sydney, Wollongong, and wider NSW.
This mural of The Weeknd at The Record Store in Darlinghurst is fkn amazing, let’s be real.
Oh, and this absolutely ridiculous Holden Commodore for the annual Shitbox Rally is fantastic too.
NICO
Almost hypnotic, and definitely satisfying to look at, Nico‘s work uses heavy black lines and a level of detailed symmetry that makes his work incredibly unmistakeable.
https://www.instagram.com/p/w-zw1SH4Ua/?hl=en
It’s hard to miss Nico’s pieces – they’re often large and elaborate, yet simply-coloured and effective. Mixing contrasting colour blocks and both pastel and bolder colours give his work a undeniably effective touch. It’s hard to not get lost looking at all the perfectly-painted details.
SARAH MCCLOSKEY
From Perth, Sarah McCloskey‘s work is nothing short of phenomenal. The detail, people. The DETAIL.
Blending beautiful portraits of women that are nearing on other-worldly with recurring images of animals and plants, Sarah’s work is breathtaking. She’s an illustrator by trade and has only been splashing up murals for just over two years now but oh God how do I get you to draw all of my tattoos forever?
SAM SONGAILO
Something a bit more abstract is Sam Songailo‘s works featuring mind-bending optical illusions. They’re more of an immersive visual experience than anything.
Sam’s had work featured at multiple Splendour In The Grass festivals over the last few years – including this year’s piece that looked like a lit-up gateway to a parallel universe – and the geometric patterns he uses are good enough to make your head swim.
BEASTMAN
In fashion, wearing clashing prints is such a faux pas but if you look at Beastman‘s work, that rule certainly doesn’t extend to street art. His work of visually mesmerising abstract work draws you in with perfectly-woven gradients and contrasting blocks of colours and patterns.
His pieces flow really beautifully with minimal need for defining each section with black lines – your eyes travel from each section naturally, and there seems to always be a different way to look at his work, meaning you’re always going to spot something new each time you look at the wall.
SHANNON CREES
Bright, bold colours with minimal black line work is a running theme in Shannon Crees‘ pieces – instead she uses negative space and impeccable gradients to transition between colours.
Her large-scale murals range from erratic, dizzying displays of wild colours to more blissed out pieces. It’s like she’s taken the heady smell of a balmy, dusky summer evening and painted the feeling that washes over you when the scent hits you.
SMUGONE
If you’re more into hyper-realism, then SmugOne is pretty much the king of this. He’s guested at numerous street art events across Aus, transforming expansive, vacant walls into giant portraits that are so fuckin’ realistic that they look like they’d be able to crawl out of the brick and stomp across the road.
My favourite thing about Smug is that he’s not shy about calling out people that decide to tag over his – and let’s be honest here – fucking phenomenal work. Opting to call it “collaborating with local up-and-comers“, his Instagram is littered with completed works and pieces that he’s returned to and found them covered in shitty tags.
Also this possum is terrifying and I for one welcome our marsupial overlords.
The absolute best thing about street art like these ones above? It’s all absolutely free to check ’em out. You just gotta find them first.
And if you wanna get your mitts on a limited edition ceramic Kraken Black Spiced Rum bottle, then head on over to their Facebook HERE.
