Merri-bek City Council is revealing three new murals expressing the culture, heritage and spirit of Brunswick and Sydney Road community. The murals are the latest additions to Council’s popular RenuWall public art program, which launched in 2020.   

RenuWall beautifies public spaces, engages our community in meaningful arts experiences and reduces vandalism in graffiti hotspots. Each year, Council selects several locations for mural art based on a range of criteria, and commissions local artists to design and paint it. 

The creators of the 3 new murals are David Lee Pereira (Rainbow Warriors), JESWRI (Butterfly Language) and Leah Bartholomew (who has rendered an untitled, floral-themed work). Each artist lives or works in Merri-bek, and each brings a unique, diverse practice to their work, reflecting the rich cultural make up of our community. 

Pereira’s Rainbow Warriors advocates for the visibility, and sharing of, Queer stories and history. Vibrant red tulips represent the resilience and brilliance of their self-identity, symbolised with delicate blooms that flourish in the face of oppression.

One benefit of public art is that the community can watch it develop through its creative stages. JESWRI’s mural, Butterfly Language, is currently in progress. It features a giant gorilla surrounded by flowers and pigeons, exploring the idea of ‘gentle masculinity’ and the challenges of social media.

Bartholomew’s untitled piece urges the public to observe the distinctive flora of Merri-bek and encourages people to plant their own native gardens. 

Bartholomew wrote in her proposal that she believed those who see the mural would feel a connection to the area and feel the spark of conversation and joy. 

A 10-minute walk takes you past all 3, and it’s a worthy coffee-break pastime to focus on their details as they blend with the permanent, rhythmic background of Merri-bek. 

You can view the murals here: 

• Rainbow Warriors and Butterfly Language, both at Wilson Avenue in Brunswick 

• Leah Bartholomew’s untitled mural, at Sydney Road and Hope Street in Brunswick 

For information about Merri-bek’s public art programs, visit our Public art in Merri-bek page.