This 20m long mural is located at Grand Lane, Perth, Western Australia. Commissioned by the City of Perth, I painted this mural with my friend Indonesian Leonardo Yuwono’s assistance. We painted it over 9 days in May 2025.
The mural depicts olden day Barrack Street, inspired by the rich history of the place. Painted in life-sized, semi-realistic, yet whimsical style, it invites the visitor to take a slow stroll down the street, to immerse in the nostalgic sight, smells and sounds.
On the left, is a corner Deli with colourful flowers and cheeky signages displayed. In the middle, is an old-school grocery store complete with cabinets, fridges, weighing scale and coin phones reminiscent of the 1970s. On the right, the scene morphed to the early 1900s when trams plied Barrack Street. The spired clock tower of the Perth Town Hall identifies the scene unmistakably as Barrack Street.
Cute animals peppered the scenes, such as the a grumpy cat sipping coffee and another leading a Quokka to jaywalk. The Possum, Australian Shepherd and even the Singaporean chickens are featured too, making the atmosphere lively and whimsical.
The mural also playfully incorporates all the existing structures into the design. It hides the real doors at exactly the doorway of the Deli and the front of the tram. It turns the water-heater into an ice-cream machine, and the utility boxes into a fridge and a post box. Real existing signboards are aptly incorporated into the murals too, such as the ‘Restricted entry’ sign positioned right at the door of the tram, and the girl at the window “showing” the ‘No Entry, fine $350’ sign to the boy.
We hope the mural’s nostalgia, colours, cheekiness and playfulness will altogether bring smiles to all visitors!
