TĀHUNA MURAL

In September 2021 the Queenstown Arts Centre requested submissions to paint x3 murals on temporary hoardings in downtown Queenstown on Stanley St. 

This was an opportunity to create something huge in my home town, involving the community and challenging myself. I really enjoy working to a large scale, but at 40m wide, this was next level! The total area of the mural was over 100 square metres. 

I wanted to use this mural project to showcase the biodiversity of the Whakatipu Basin - featuring incredible flora and fauna, some of which exists at various levels of threat or endangerment. The mural moves from left to right through a braided river to wetlands, to forest and beyond to the alpine. This piece was to be more than just a pretty picture, I wanted it to be an educational resource for local primary school children.
Eighteen local 10-12 year olds from three different schools came and painted selected species on the wall. This was probably the most satisfying part of the project for me and the level of skill, engagement and pride from the students was astounding! 

The mural will remain in place for anything between 3 and 5 years and serve as a promotional piece for the great work that the Whakatipu Reforestation Trust do locally, as well as a reminder of what a beautiful, diverse and respect-worthy place Tāhuna is.