Maribyrnong Country

Murrup Biik collaborated with Nungar artist Ashleigh Pugh on a large mural in the stairwell at Footscray Primary School to honour the pre-invasion riparian ecology of the Maribyrnong River. Our goal was to engage children and to provide an artwork that would inspire curriculum content for the teachers.

Ash’s small paintings on timber were photographed then printed out as large synthetic decals which were adhered to the stairwell walls. We had asked the teachers to ask the students to research and select the local animals that would be featured in the painting. The challenge was getting the dimensions of the odd shaped walls and working with Ash to create a scene that used the stairwell space effectively.

Title: Maribyrnong Country

Site/Client: Footscray Primary School

Concept, curation and coordination: Chris Joy, Aunty Kim Wandin

Paintings on small boards: Ashleigh Pugh