Up Property & Minna Leunig – A tribute to our native wildlife
13 April, 2023
A mural unveiled on Barwon Health’s new CBD mental health hub reflects a Geelong artist’s passion for Australia’s landscape and wildlife.
Minna Leunig was commissioned by Up Property to create a unique work on the Moorabool St building, paying homage to traditional lands. The street art features four native animals – a fish, bird, kangaroo and echidna.
“My particular area of interest as an artist has always been to represent the native Australian environment and its creatures in a lively, striking, abstract manner,”
Leunig said.
She described her work as a visually appealing way to focus on the environment at a time when fragile species and ecosystems needed care.
“Colour is a visual language all on Its own that we respond to intuitively and emotionally,” she said. “I’ve used a palette that conveys a sense of liveliness, levity and joy.
“Each of those creatures Is positioned over a large circle.
symbolic of the rising and setting sun. It is during golden hour that these creatures are most active, sol have positioned them as a black silhouette, as if passing across the sun.”
The artwork has already drawn praise for its powerful message and stunning aesthetic.
Up Property general manager Marcus Jankie said he wanted the mural to highlight Geelong’s culture and community.
“The combination of a Geelong tenant, Barwon Health, the use of a Geelong builder (Lyons Construction) and the inclusion of Geelong art (Leunig), 181 Moorabool is a uniquely Geelong-Inspired building developed by Up Property,” Mr Jankie said.
Mural shines a light on native wildlife
Written by: Satria Dyer-Darmawan
Photography by: Mark Wilson
Published in The Geelong Advertiser Apr 13, 2023.