Market Murals
To celebrate our 150th anniversary the Market commissioned some of Melbourne's best street artists to create some murals around the Market, showcasing their interpretation of our huge milestone.
Artist Cam Scale created a series at the Market that highlights the generations of people from all backgrounds that have visited and worked here for 150 years. These faces represent the multicultural, 150-year heritage of the Market – where friendships have developed and memories have been created. Using aerosol and acrylic, Camscale painted four works on brick walls inside the Market.
Artist Bailer created the stunning 'Greenhouse' in the stairway to the car park also using aerosol and acrylic. Bailer created a garden of vines twining around the poles and sides of the walls, reaching up to a sun drenched sky. The contrasting green of the vines and their direction going upwards leads the eye to the warmth and glow of the ceiling, the hues typical of a bright sunset in South Melbourne.
The 150th Anniversary Mural Project was sponsored by Haymes PaintRight at Southbank.
Following on from the 150th Anniversary Mural Project, the Market has worked with a series of artists to deliver a continuing program of public art, read on for more information on the artists and their works.
We are often on the lookout for new talent or ideas to ensure every visit to the Market is a memorable one. Whether it be a new mural, community engagement activity, live music, artwork, workshop or a roving performance, we're always open to new ideas.
If you've got some creative ideas or are interested in contributing to our Market, we'd love to hear from you!
Click below to view the Market's Artists and Creative page for more information and to apply.
About the Artist - Cam Scale
Cam Scale is a Melbourne-based artist whose practice extends from murals and graffiti to digital and canvas. He works with several mediums, mostly aerosol, oil and acrylic and has worked on commissions in Australia and overseas. He has exhibited widely in both group and solo exhibitions.
Untitled Portrait
Date: January 2017
Aerosol, acrylic
This mural of an older lady represents generations of people from all backgrounds that have visited and worked here for 150 years. Cam has captured the inclusive and multicultural nature of South Melbourne Market in this beautiful mural.
Untitled Portrait
Date: March 2017
Aerosol, acrylic
This mural of an older Chinese man represents an important part of the Market’s past. In the early 1900s, Coventry Street traders were predominantly Chinese, as seen in the Market collections register for 1927. This portrait reflects this rich history.
Untitled Portrait
Date: March 2017
Aerosol, acrylic
A little girl, lost in her own world, eating a sweet treat. The image represents so many stories we have come to hear about what the Market means to people - where shoppers of all ages remember their trips to the Market as children and recall the special treats as a highlight of their visit. To so many people, the Market is a time to spoil yourself and get lost in a magical space.
Untitled Portrait
Date: March 2017
Aerosol, acrylic
After WWII, a large wave of Greek migration occurred and South Melbourne became home for many migrants. This is a mural of Jimmy, one of the Greek men that has been frequenting the Food Hall for decades to catch up with mates and chat. This mural is a tribute to the Greek heritage in the Market, particularly in our Deli Aisle where many of our traders are of Greek descent.
About the artist - Bailer
Bailer has been painting publicly for over 20 years as a street artist. He is considered one of the most experienced and talented graffiti and street artist in Australia. He has had commissions in both Australia and overseas in Paris and Asia, and has expanded his work onto canvases with a strong gallery exhibition history.
Sunroof
Date: January 2017
Aerosol, acrylic
Bailer has created a garden of vines twining around the poles and sides of the walls, reaching up to a sun drenched sky. The contrasting green of the vines and their direction going upwards leads the eye to the warmth and glow of the ceiling, the hues typical of a bright sunset in South Melbourne.
About the artist - Laura Blythman
Melbourne-based artist, designer and illustrator Laura Blythman is renowned for her vibrant use of colour and paper collage. Her art is an exploration of dreams and imagined worlds brought to life in technicolour. Her recognisable aesthetic has garnered her a legion of fans and a vibrant portfolio of collaborative work with clients ranging from start-up businesses to high-profile Australian and international brands.
Supercool Aussie Natives
Date: October 2022
Mixed media
Laura's large-scale collage is a joyful celebration of our Australian native flora and fauna which incorporates the playfulness of the SO:ME Space and evokes the memory of outdoor imaginative play in the Aussie sunshine.
About the artist - VKM
VKM is a local artist whose photography work extends into the intricate realm of monotone stencil art. Known for her finely detailed skater stencils and street scenes, she has carved a distinct voice in the street art community, featuring on walls in Australia, India, Paris, Glasgow and London. From her Melbourne studio she also creates studio works and exhibits in art prizes and group shows. Her artistic practice thrives within the intersection of studio work and public art, both sharing a distinct hallmark of photorealism infused with a poetic sense of fluidity and motion. She employs a diverse palette of mediums, including aerosol, Japanese inks, and mixed media
Fresh Blooms - Manda Lane and VKM
Date: March 2024
Mixed media
This collaborative work combines Manda Lane’s intricate botanical paper cuts with VKM’s detailed stencil art. Both artists drew inspiration from stalls within the Market, the finished piece encapsulating the interactive aspect of the market experience, which is so much more than just “shopping”
“I love the heartbeat of the market, and wanted to express the spontaneity of those unexpected moments and purchases that make a day at the market so good for the soul. This stencilled photograph of a flower seller with freshly wrapped natives captured that essence and I knew it would marry well with Manda’s botanicals” VKM
“Working with handcut paper, I am drawn to the intricate details within plantlife, and enjoy trying to recreate that in my art. Inspired directly from plant stalls at the market, the papercut features a bouquet of Calathea lancifolias, Eucalyptus leaves, Papaver nudicale (poppies), and Dypsis lutescens (palms) growing across the wall. Hand-illustrated and then handcut before being pasted onto the wall, this work has been designed to blossom around VKM’s beautiful artwork.” – Manda
About the artist - Manda Lane
Based in Collingwood, Victoria, Manda Lane is an artist who works across delicate paper cuttings, bold murals and detailed illustrations, mostly centred on the intricate details within plants and nature.
Her artistic practice is based around a hyper-obsession with botanicals, where she uses public art to reinsert nature back into urban locations, and uses her studio work to celebrate the often under-appreciated plants and weeds. Inspired by tattoo designs and early scientific illustrations of nature, Manda works predominantly with a monochromatic palette, while also aiming to bring a contemporary and stylized approach to botanical art.
The Medley
Date: March 2024
Acrylic
The Medley is a hand painted mural by Melbourne artist, Manda Lane, featuring a playful bouquet of fruit, vegetables and grains inspired by the stalls at South Melbourne Market.
Painted in black and white, the artwork’s design is a modern interpretation of antique botanical etchings, where the mural invites the community to reflect on the timeless allure of shopping locally for hand-picked produce - where every item has been harvested, transported to the Market and individually selected by the shopper to take home for their kitchen table.
Photo credit: Yoshi_Travel
About the artist - JESWRI
The mural was designed and painted by Indigenous artist Jesse Wright, also known as JESWRI. JESWRI is a Gadigal artist, best known for his large-scale public art and commercial brand collaborations. Jesse is a veteran graffiti writer, art director, designer and illustrator; originally from Sydney - with his unique blend of pop-culture and his signature ‘retro-futurism’ he has very quickly established himself a household name in the national street art scene.
Two cities, one team, together living the dream
Date: May 2024
Acrylic
The artwork is a joint project between the Sydney Swans, the City of Port Phillip and South Melbourne Market and represents the club’s 150th year and features a selection of key figures from the club’s South Melbourne days.
The phrase “Two cities, one team, together living the dream” features on the artwork. The phrase featured on the 2005 Grand Final banner and represents the club’s South Melbourne heritage and journey to Sydney.
Featured on the mural are the South Melbourne Bloods legends Bob Skilton, Ron Clegg and Peter Burns as well as Hall of Fame members John Rantall, Mark Tandy and the club’s first Indigenous player, Elkin Reily.
This project was funded by the State Government 'Community Support Fund' and is part of the Urban Canvas Graffiti Pilot Program.
