Until Steven and I arrived in Dunedin in New Zealand's South Island, I hadn't known that there was such a thing as a UNESCO Creative City. The city, home to the country’s first public art gallery and art society, had a rich history in the arts. I loved how it was only a matter of time before Dunedin jumped on the street art movement, taking art out of galleries and making it freely accessible to everyone.
The city's public art movement was launched in 2014, when national and international artists were invited to add color and culture to 10 city walls during the Dunedin Street Art Festival. Since then, more than 50 pieces of commissioned work in Central Dunedin alone have popped up all over the city. Steven and I had done our 'homework' before leaving home, researching the city's most famous murals. But we also found others as we wandered, which made it exciting.
4/19: As I mentioned in the previous post, our first stop in the city was the First Church of Otago, which we tried to visit three times without success. Our first mural was Take the Leap in an alley across from the church. It depicted three happy children taking the leap, or perhaps challenge, that life offers. Family Works sponsored the piece in the hope that children (in the city or country?) are strong, safe, and connected.
The mural of a deep-sea diver was created by NZ artist Milarky and featured alongside numerous other murals in the city's heritage Warehouse Precinct. Milarky was quoted as saying, "Despite the many reasons behind the design, it’s the beholder who ultimately decides what it’s trying to say."
In a laneway near the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, a long piece of street art by various artists depicted the city's history. There was a delightful blend of Māori, Scottish, and Chinese elements and motifs highlighting the different cultures that have influenced the city becoming what it is today.
The image was inspired by a 1901 painting by Frances Hodgkins, one of the country's top artists, titled Māori Woman with Child.
William Chui Wai Wong, known as Pvt. Bill McWong, served in the 2nd Scottish and 1st Otago Regiments before graduating to flying Harvard and Kitty Hawk planes. Friendships he made in the Air Force helped his family's assimilation and acceptance into Kiwi life. He said, "As time passes, our new home becomes our old home."
I learned that Janet Frame was New Zealand's most distinguished writer and was also named among the country's ten greatest living artists by the Arts Foundation of New Zealand Icon Artists in 2003.
Gabriel Farry was the first Lebanese immigrant to Dunedin in 1898. He and Jamelie Coory were the first Lebanese immigrants to marry at the city's St. Joseph's Cathedral the following year, becoming significant members of the Lebanese community.
In a hotel parking lot near Queens Park stood what was possibly Dunedin's tallest piece of street art, depicting cloud-catching children by Australian muralist Fintan Magee.
In another small alley next to the Rialto Movie Theatre, Jack Pillans, a local artist known for his pointillism, created this artwork using dots of aerosol spray paint. I tried to count how many ravens there were that covered two walls and the ceiling!
Melbourne street artist Suki often depicts women dancing or moving through urban space. You can see how it was challenging to find some of the murals, as many were not immediately obvious. First image courtesy of Street Art Guide.
Near the former Carnegie Library stood the exquisitely detailed lace mural by Polish artist NeSpoon, who used local lace patterns and over 100 intricate stencils.
Who wouldn't smile upon seeing the mural Giant Moa created by British artist Phlegm, especially since it featured the artist's signature fantastical creature riding the extinct flightless bird endemic to New Zealand?! I almost wanted to hop on for a ride, too.
When we turned the corner, it was intriguing to see the mural also continued at the top of the building!
I hope you'll grant me some latitude here, as I've included the swan atop The Swan bar in a very quiet part of the city while looking for the next two murals.
New Zealander Tyler Kennedy Stent was commissioned to paint Ed Sheeran before he performed three record-breaking sell-out concerts in Dunedin in 2018. Sheeran liked it so much that he took a selfie in front of it!
Near Sheeran's painting, Belgian artist ROA painted a giant native tuatara on a brick wall, wrapping it around a window. Apparently, the artist was famous for creating detailed, large-scale black-and-white animal murals endemic to the locations he visits.
4/20: The following morning, I left our place early to discover more murals before meeting Steven at the superb Dunedin Chinese Garden, aka Lan Yuan. These were what I found.
In 2018, Stent painted the mural as a tribute dedicated to New Zealand artist Ralph Hotere.
I was so glad I had time to see this mural in detail after driving by it quickly the night before. Located on one of Dunedin's busiest intersections, waiting for the lights to turn green is never a problem with Riding Dreams to look at! Italian Pixel Pancho, who generally paints robotic machinery, depicted a mechanical horse and a not-quite-human jockey.
This picture and the next were taken on an adjacent street. Click on this image to enlarge it, so you can see the unusual tangled metal or cassette tape strands in the extinct Haast's Eagle. It was designed by Chinese artist DAL East.
Titled, I kid you not, Untitled, Wellington-based artist Mica Still likes to feature psychedelic wolves in her signature color palette. It was not one of my favorites.
This wall once hosted one of the art trail’s most beloved works, Love Is in the Air by Polish street artist Natalia Rak. Unfortunately, it was painted over in 2024 when the building required repairs, leaving a blank canvas for a couple of years. However, it 'roared' back to life with Lion Heart by New Zealander SwiftMantis. I loved this one!
I found this two-story mural by the late Argentinian street artist Hyuro disquieting.
Titled We're all in this together by artist Cracked Ink, the artwork illustrated characters scooping water to represent the former harbour location.
Even more of the painting was revealed when I walked behind the building, though I was initially skeptical about going there because it looked pretty sketchy.
A local man standing on his tiny balcony kindly pointed out the next mural to me.
Above this painting were the words Must Get Out More!
Kiwi Larissa McMillan painted this smaller artwork.I came close to missing another of Phlegm's works.On an adjacent wall was what looked to me like an image of Audrey Hepburn by NZ artists Andy McCready and Sam Ovens. What do you think?Local artist Jon Thom painted a smiling face, entitled Annabel, although it reminded me of Janis Joplin. This second work by Magee was painted on a brick building, which gave the piece a unique texture.
I think you'll also need to click on this mural titled When the Hunter Becomes the Hunted, painted in 2015 by Polish artist Bezt. The unnerving painting pictured a woman resting in a bed of flowers, although the original painting had her on a forest floor holding arrows. The final image was quite a departure from Bezt's initial plan.
Another part of the mural:
When Phlegm completed the artwork in April 2014, it portrayed a fantasy version of the Kakapo, a flightless native bird, shown holding a rat, highlighting the threat rodents pose to the endangered bird. Unlike some of his other works, this one didn't bring me any joy or make me smile. What about you?
4/21: I'll leave you with Shifting Tides, the joyful and vibrant artwork we saw the following morning in an industrial area of South Dunedin. The cheery chrysanthemums, created by artists Flox and Sweats, symbolized longevity and reflect early Chinese culture in the area. It also featured the titipounamu, New Zealand's smallest native bird.
Looking for the murals gave us a marvelous opportunity to discover far more of Dunedin than we would have otherwise, and especially away from the popular tourist sights in the central business district. We've seen plenty of murals or street art in many cities, but rarely a dedicated art trail like Dunedin's Art Trail.
Next post: The Dunedin Botanical Gardens, Moeraki Boulders, Oamuru Victorian Precinct, & Blue Penguins!
Posted on July 7th, 2026 from another 95-degree day in Littleton, Colorado. Unfortunately, the air has been smoky for days because of numerous fires here and in neighboring Utah. Please take care of yourself and your loved ones.
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