WHEN mural artist Scottie Neoh (aka Bonsai) takes his spray can to the walls of Lake Pertobe’s maze this weekend he will be coming full circle.
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Growing up in Warrnambool, it was the maze’s first mural work 15 years ago that encouraged him to take up the craft.
“When the guys painted this wall originally, I came down and watched them work and that’s what inspired me to get into this kind of art,” he said. “I watched them and became friends with them and they were the ones who taught me how to paint.”
Bonsai has returned to his home town, joined by friends and fellow artists TwoOne (Hiroyasu Tsuri), Ghostpatrol (David Booth) and Jun Inoue, to repaint the maze and pass on skills to local artists.
Sketched outlines give a glimpse of the eye-catching work that will soon grace the maze’s outer walls, with the artists working together as they have in projects across the country.
“We’re trying to create something really playful and energetic rather than stick to any sort of theme,” Bonsai said.
“There will be animals and things for kids to pick out.”
The crew is also working on the blank culvert under Mortlake Road over the weekend.
Warrnambool Art Gallery curator of exhibitions and outreach Gareth Colliton said attracting internationally-renowned artists to the city was exciting. He said the new murals would create visual interest and a conversation point for the city, while workshops over the weekend would allow local artists to learn from the best.
“No one in Warrnambool has these skills these artists have,” he said.
The younger generations will also have the chance to contribute to the work, with children’s workshops held at the maze Monday to Thursday from 1pm.
