'Keep Your Head Up' by JESWRI
JESWRI (pronounced Jess-Rye) is a multifaceted Gadigal artist of the Eora Nation, and is easily one of Australia's best-kept secrets.
His innovative fusion of street art, graffiti, and NFT art has garnered attention from major brands such as Apple, Netflix, Kia, Dell, Converse, Adidas, and Playstation.
JESWRI's most recent project, the NFT collection 'Keyboard Warriors Internet Cafe', sold out 8888 individual artworks in under 30 seconds, and continues to set a new standard for the Australian NFT market.
Before devoting his full-time career to art, JESWRI made a name for himself as a prominent graffiti writer, designer, and commercial art director. Today, he is the proud co-founder of Honey Bones Gallery, one of Melbourne's most exciting new art galleries & Wall Lords, an artist-focused advertising agency that partners with and mentors emerging artists to install painted advertisements for big-name clients across three major cities: Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.
JESWRI's unique approach to storytelling is what sets him apart from his contemporaries.
He effortlessly communicates meaningful messages through his style, a blend of contemporary and pop art that showcases his deep connection to his storytelling which is considerately designed and composed to engage with the audience/viewer.
Currently supported by 'Creative VIC', JESWRI is working on his fourth gallery exhibition, entitled 'Dancing in the Dark', which is poised to solidify his place as one of Australia's most sought-after artists.
Through his work, JESWRI opens a dialogue about mental health and aims to have meaningful conversations about taboo topics through his many creative practices, cementing his status as a visionary artist with a passion for creating work that resonates deeply with his audience.
ABOUT THE ARTWORK
Jeswri says of his mural "This mural is a self-portrait of me dressed as a crocodile being dragged under water by an actual crocodile. The idea was to make it a bit lighthearted. I like to tell stories with my work and I like to have actual conversations about it as opposed to just having a photo taken of it.
The crocodile grabbing my character by my tail suggests that I'm diving more into my own Aboriginal heritage. Part of my motivation for this wall is ultimately paying tribute to the local Larrakia mob here who see the Crocodile as one of their totems - its my aim to pay homage and respect to locals by including the croc."
Follow JESWRI on Intagram HERE
Mural Location: Ramirez Road, rear wall of 32 Gardens Hill Cres.
