General News
27 May, 2025
Musk lorikeet brightens Horsham wall
Renowned Melbourne-based artist Jimmy Dvate has brought colour and nature to the heart of Horsham, completing a striking mural on the back wall of the local newsagency.
The mural, funded by Horsham Rural City Council, celebrates the region’s native wildlife, featuring the vibrant musk lorikeet.
Mr Dvate, a respected figure in Australia’s street art scene, said the project took more than a week to paint, with several more days dedicated to research, design and preparation.
“The painting of the mural has taken me 10 days to complete,” he said, "plus another few days at least of design and preparation work beforehand.”
Mr Dvate, who specialises in large-scale murals, said his work increasingly focused on local flora and fauna to forge a meaningful connection with each location.
“Over the past five years my work has been focused more and more on my passion for local flora and fauna,” he said.
“It is a way for me to directly connect to the area I’m painting in and highlight an aspect of the local environment that I feel is important to showcase.”
He said Horsham’s mural concept was chosen after looking at several design options based on local research.
“The musk lorikeet is found throughout the region, and I actually had a flock of them sleeping in the carpark trees next to the mural for a few nights – always nice to get such a direct connection to place,” he said.
Mr Dvate said through the mural he hoped to raise awareness of native species and evoke a sense of calm and connection to nature.
“I hope the mural conveys the importance of nature and makes people feel more relaxed or happy,” he said.
“I also try to raise awareness of local species that people might not know live in their backyard.”
Despite the positive message, the process didn’t come without its challenges.
“The main challenge has been the corrugated surface and roller door, as a flat surface is much easier to paint,” he said.
“Also, being a north-facing wall has been difficult with the sun glare and shadows from the corrugations.”
Horsham Rural City Council fully funded the mural project.
Mr Dvate began experimenting with street art in 1996 and has since created hundreds of murals worldwide.
This latest piece adds to his growing legacy of public artworks designed to connect communities with their natural surroundings.
