The Wonderwalls Festival returned to Port Adelaide this year on 4th March. It is a family-friendly event with live music, wandering performers and virtual reality spray painting demonstrations. For me, it’s all about the street art, and this year it included seven new murals as part of the festival.
There are also dozens of magnificent artworks from previous years to examine on buildings and fences. It’s fairly easy to walk around this area and uncover the various Wonderwalls’ murals, both old and new.
While the festival is over for this year, the art remains and is now part of a stunning street-art trail that you can enjoy on a self-guided tour of the neighbourhood.
It has certainly become an iconic location for street art fans. This is my take on this year’s new murals.
Kate Kurucz
Location: 9-11 Todd Street
Kate who is from Adelaide, created this wonderful mural. Kate has a strong focus on figurative oil painting. Her works feature humour and extremes as prominent elements.
Rich in colour, this mural may have been inspired by an earlier studio oil painting called ‘Love me Anyway’. The lipstick and flowers change the appearance as if to entice the onlooker into the painting.
Smug One
Location: 8 Karatta Dock
Smug has lived in Scotland for 20 years, having moved from the South Coast of New South Wales. He is a well-known international artist best recognised for his realistic large-scale murals.
He is inspired by people and nature and is interested in the connection that exists between them. Smug likes to combine bright colours with, at times, quirky design elements.
Sofles
Location: 6 Mercantile Dock
Sofles is a self-taught artist from Brisbane, Australia. He wants to create images that trigger emotions in people by using powerful vivid colours, fine details, and abstract components.
“I believe art should be an important part of the city landscape. I want to create public art for people to enjoy, to transform spaces.” – Sofles.
He has developed a style that attracts our attention by drawing inspiration from nature, culture, graffiti, and traditional painting.
Ella Germein
Location: 4 McLaren Parade
Ella is from Adelaide. This piece, titled ‘Aquatic Concerto’, showcases her use of brilliant hues, bold brushstrokes, and intricate line work that have come to define her distinct style.
Lucinda Penn (aka LCND)
Location: 15 Nile Street
Lucinda is from Adelaide. She presents her story with a vibrant colour palette and symbolism to add enjoyment to her work.
“This piece is about looking through all of the things happening around you. The symbols here make up things in the everyday where meaning can be attached depending on the viewer’s feelings that moment or experiences throughout their life.” – Lucinda
“I believe that art should bring colour and brighten up your life…”- Lucinda
Her vivid creations are inspired by the world around us.
Morris Green
Location: 88 St Vincent Street
Morris Green is an Adelaide-based tattoo artist and mural artist known for his realistic graphic designs. His murals and tattoo pieces emphasise strong contrasts and a sharp focus.
Another of his bright works of public art, this one depicting a woman’s expression and a brilliant protea.
Shane Cook
Location: 22 Nile Street
Shane was born and reared in Adelaide; however, his family is from Cherbourg Mission in Queensland. His mother taught him traditional painting at first. His interests eventually shifted to graffiti culture, murals, and tattooing.
This is a lovely mural with vibrant hues that showcases contemporary Aboriginal design features and symbolism.
“I use traditional designs combined with spray cans, stencilling and paint brushes.” – Shane
Graff Jam
Location: Pirate Life Brewing – Barlow Street
Over the course of three days, the ‘Graff Jam’ wall at Pirate Life Brewing gave five local artists a platform to interact with and reach new audiences.
It is like a community event, with a group of artists working together and many people observing as the area is transformed. Each of the artists throughout the event display their own distinctive style and ideas.
Here are a couple of the featured artists:
Keep in mind that as you wander through the streets of Port Adelaide looking for these works of art, you will certainly also come upon past works that can you stop and enjoy.
After or during your tour of Port Adelaide’s street art, you can pop into Pirate Life Brewing for a drink and a feed. There’s plenty of urban art on display here too.
I am now looking forward to Wonderwalls Port Adelaide 2024!!
If you enjoyed this insight into Wonderwalls Port Adelaide 2023, have a look at my story titled Street Art Abounds in Historic Port Adelaide for more street art in the same area. You can also browse through our collection of stories on street art here.
2 comments
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