TIME • RONE and Perth’s World Class Street Art

Perth CBD

Hidden away off Murray Street, Wolf Lane is a must-see for street mural enthusiasts, according to art consultant, Kate Parker, a principal at Element Advisory in the CBD, who helps bring street murals to life. This laneway features exciting works by a variety of local and international artists.

“My favourites are still some of the first murals that I was a part of; the murals along Wolf Lane by Lucan Grogan, ROA, Alexis Diaz, Amok Island, Maya Hayuk, Pixel Pancho and Hyuro,” she said.

For the team behind Oh Hey WA, which hosts street art tours of the city, a new work currently being painted in Wolf Lane by WA artist, Liam Dee, is already exciting guests with its fun, colourful elements.

The creative vibrancy of the precinct surrounding the 140 Perth building in William Street also prove popular on Oh Hey WA tours, particularly two murals in Railway Lane and Globe Lane, by local artists, Kambarni and Marcia McGuire, developed as part of 140 Perth’s art program, MAARAKOOL (With Our Hands), which celebrates Whadjuk Noongar storytelling.

Perth also boasts impressive public sculptures. In Forrest Place, you’ll find the hard-to-miss green cactus sculpture, Grow Your Own. Elizabeth Quay features exciting pieces like Spanda by Christian de Vietri, a looping structure symbolising the connection between the river, land and sky. Tabitha McMullan, CEO of FORM arts organisation, which also helps bring Perth public art to life, highlights Elizabeth Quay’s First Contact, by Laurel Nannup, as well as Mia Mias, a memorial for the Stolen Generations at Wellington Square by Sandra Hill. She added that some of Perth’s best public art is also hidden in plain sight as functional art, such as the Koolangka Koolangka Waabiny play space at Wellington Square.

Northbridge and Perth Train Station

Northbridge, its Perth Cultural Centre and nearby Perth Train Station are also filled with street art waiting to be explored. Look for exciting large-scale works by artists like Stormie Mills, Anya Brock and Pixel Pancho. FORM’s Tabitha McMullan points out that some of city’s dynamic pieces are even cleverly hidden. 

“At night when you pass through Perth’s Cultural Centre, look upwards along the alleyway that runs adjacent to Alex Hotel to see Joshua Webb’s neon Blue Sun illuminating the path to some of the city’s hidden bars and watering holes,” she said.

As public art is always changing, Perth’s streetscape is continually evolving. According to Kate Parker, stay tuned for other exciting projects on the horizon, including major artworks for Perth Station. The three upcoming major pieces promise to be thoughtful reflections of the site’s history and cultural significance.

Further afield, she said several mural artworks by Noongar artists Jodie Riley and Rubeun Yorkshire, along with large sculptural works, will enliven Perth’s new Causeway Pedestrian and Cyclist Bridges. In Nedlands, five colourful murals were recently installed at the City of Perth’s QEII Medical Centre by local artists Andrew Frazer, Joanna Brown, Jack Bromell, Justin Martin and Imogen Palmer, bringing the space to life.

When asked to sum up Perth’s street art scene, Kate Parker simply says: “It only takes two words…world class!”

Read more about Perth's amazing Murals & Street Art here.