The CCAS Manuka Mural Project.

We are thrilled to announce that Kamberri/Canberra's pre-eminent muralist, and long-term CCAS artist and member, byrd (Dan Maginnity), has been selected as the artist for the inaugural CCAS Manuka Mural Project.

With a career spanning back to the late 1990s, byrd has left indelible traces across the city of Kamberri/Canberra. His work generally belongs to the realm of environmental protest art, and his portfolio boasts a plethora of mural commissions, ranging from local projects to national and international endeavours. Notable commissions include those for the City of Sydney, the National Gallery of Australia, the National Portrait Gallery, and the National Museum of Australia. In addition to his commissioned murals, byrd makes commercial and experimental works for gallery exhibitions and is represented by Nancy Sever Gallery.

For the CCAS Manuka Mural Project byrd will employ a blend of transparent and textured layers, intricate patterning, bold lines, vivid colours, and carefully designed repetitions to create a dynamic work that will invite repeat viewing and aim to expand the public’s capacity for complexity. The mural, which will be painted on the façade of CCAS Manuka in early December 2023, will serve as a bold introduction to the experimental and speculative art showcased at the gallery.

The CCAS Manuka Mural Project is a new initiative that will publicly profile a bold new work by a local contemporary artist, attract more visitors to discover the work of all artists showing at CCAS Manuka, and enliven the public streetscape. The commissioned artwork will adorn the 6m x 1.5m recessed area on the façade of the building.

As a site of innovation and growth, CCAS Manuka showcases ambitious projects by predominantly early career artists, prioritising experimental and Kamberri/Canberra-based practice. The CCAS Manuka Mural Project is made possible thanks to the generosity of 40 donors.

Image above:

byrd (Dan Maginnity) Aber Doch (installation photo) 2023, enamel and acrylic, photo by Alexander Boynes

Image below:

byrd (Dan Maginnity) Aber Doch 2023, enamel and acrylic, photo by Hilary Wardhaugh