Residents of Woolloomooloo collaborated with artists from the charity Youth and Family Connect (YFC) to create a colourful new mural that depicts the community’s dynamic culture and unique identity.
Officially unveiled recently at the Woolloomooloo tennis court, the mural Woolloomoolife, which was created with the support of the City of Sydney, is representative of the area’s multicultural community and local sports teams.
The suburb is home to a truly diverse community comprising of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders as well as high income professionals and public housing tenants.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said they supported the contribution of local and international artists to the creative and cultural heartbeat of the city.
He also acknowledged the efforts of the tight-knit Woolloomooloo community to come together and create a fabulous piece of public street art that links the suburb’s rich history to its dynamic present day community.
The background elements in the mural feature St Mary’s Cathedral and the Art Gallery of NSW, the southern and northern most points of Woolloomooloo as well as images important to the local community including a 1950s Italian fishing boat, a Sydney Harbour mullet, the city skyline, a fruit bat, Woolloomooloo Bay, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, and a representation of the Aboriginal flag.
Artist Rosano Martinez from Youth and Family Connect says they held community workshops prior to starting work on the mural to gather ideas as well as teach people about drawing, art history and painting with spray cans.
