One of Townsville’s most extensive and loved pieces of street art has received a new lease of life, with Brisbane-based street artist Leans touching up his original mural after almost seven years. The mural, titled Mother Earth was commissioned by Townsville City Council in 2017 as part of the city’s extensive street-art trail, taking pride of place in Ogden Street, across from McDonald’s. Townsville Mayor Troy Thompson said Council was invested in supporting the community through arts and culture.
“Council has invested in the arts, and one of the ways that’s been done in recent years is through the street art program, and with 27 pieces in the city street art trail from time to time, like any asset they need to be maintained,” Cr Thompson said. “The building owners recently completed some works to the Ogden Street façade, which meant some of the original artwork had been disturbed, and over the years some parts had faded or been vandalised. “It’s terrific we were able to get Leans back to Townsville to freshen up Mother Earth, and with it, bring a couple of new touches to the mural like a new sky and UV protection layer.”
Street artist, Leans said he was stoked to be back in Townsville, working on his original Townsville mural, the message of which was still very relevant today.
“Mother Earth is a portrait of my wife surrounded by a thriving ecosystem. The piece is influenced by the beauty of nature and it pays homage to the importance of keeping the natural world healthy as our population grows,” Leans said. The mural provides a vision of the movement and wonder felt when exploring the depths of the Great Barrier Reef and captures the beautiful clear sky of Townsville. “It’s great to see Townsville’s street art collection has grown in the seven years since Mother Earth was commissioned, it’s always great to see a local Council see the value in investing in arts and culture.”
Discover the many amazing street art murals Townsville has to offer by taking a self-guided walking tour of the city using the Street Art Walking Trail: Augmented Reality edition map.
For more information, visit Street Art – Townsville City Council.