Artists: Mike Maka aka Makatron, Lee-Anne Clarke and Mandi Barton
Year: 2021
Location: Tin Shed, 309 Main Road East St Albans
This mural is a collaboration between lead artist and renowned muralist / artist Mike Maka aka Makatron and local Indigenous artists Mandi Barton and Lee-Anne Clarke.
The mural project aims to honour the legendary lives of local Indigenous elders Aunty Joyce and Uncle Boots, who are well known community members. They have adopted approximately over 70 children over the years. The mural also will be the first time Lee-Anne and Mandi have painted a large mural, and will also be the first collaboration with Mike Maka.
The three aim to weave their styles together in parts, and have other areas of some separation, but working together with an integrated colour scheme.
The mural depicts local legends Aunty Joyce and Uncle Boots wearing traditional Possum Skin Cloaks. Mike paints the portraits in a fairly realistic style. Mandi and Lee-Anne have been chatting with the two subjects Aunty Joyce and Uncle Boots along the way, who have requested both Bunjil the Wedge-tailed Eagle and Waa the Spirit Crow to be included. Mandi and Lee-Anne painted the area around the two subjects, Mike focused on the portraits, and the totem animals will be a collaboration of both styles, with traditional pattern and line work within the animals, and a touch of shadow to finish.
About Lead Artist - Mike Maka aka Makatron
Mike Maka aka Makatron is primarily a painter who works in a variety of media, mainly on walls, canvas and illustration on paper. He has travelled and created work around the world, including iconic locations such as the Berlin Wall and the River Ganges. At 20, he received a scholarship to study art in New York, which led to working as a bike messenger for 10 years in 10 cities, and leaving his mark on many walls. An active member of Everfresh Studio since 2006, Mike has exhibited extensively through Australia as well as group shows in Brazil, Japan, Miami and New York, and has works in private and public collections locally and abroad, including aquisitions by the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, as well as working in institutions such as National Gallery of Victoria and MONA Tasmania. Makatron presents a message to mankind to step foot outside of the concrete jungle and reconnect with Mother Nature and the animal in all of us.