Kez is delighted to be invited back a third time to design, create and install a third Mural at a Dandenong Youth Refuge.
Kez works with the young residents to design and create, this being the third large Mural installed on the Refuge’s courtyard wall. The staff, visitors and participants both past and present say how inspiring the beautiful Murals are.
They both brighten up their space and send a message of love and hope for all who visit.
This 2017 Mural made up of 3 x large panels is situated behind the vegie garden. The young people staying at the refuge have designed a theme that tells of their combined stories of overcoming struggles.
The Story & Symbolism behind the Mural
Designed and painted by young people residing at EYA, the story depicted within this Mural is ‘New Growth’ and how that new growth is formed through adversity, struggle, mistakes and failures. That our past is part of us but does not have to define our future.
The image of the huge waves smashing against the rocks as the sun goes down depicts the turmoil that life sometimes throws at us yet there is always something or someone that can light the way for us in times of need. In this mural the lighthouse represents our own strength that we find in times of struggle, the people we meet and things we come across that help light the way for us in dark times. The goldfish with it’s back pack represents a fresh start that lies ahead when we prepare ourselves and look out for opportunities.
The baby being delivered by the Australian indigenous pelican holds on tight to its blanket for security and hope as it flies over the waves crashing below. Yet ‘Day by Day, Hour by Hour, Minute by Minute’ the turmoil subsides and makes way for a brand new day as nothing in life stays constant, there is always change. As we focus on our inner strength to guide us, listen to our heart and not ‘trip on our mind’ we can find our own path. All the while, being present in this time and space with faith in what has been left behind is part of us but does not define us nor define our future. Our future is what we make for ourselves.
All the parts of us, the struggle, adversity and mistakes we may have made in the past now feed into the roots of the tree giving us a second chance to grow in a different way, growing more into ourselves. This great tree with its many roots, fed by many experiences grows up tall and strong as it stands in its conviction to be true to itself. Like the butterfly, it has transformed its past into ‘New Growth’ of Wisdom, Communication, Love, Acceptance, Hope and Compassion becoming its own beacon to light the way for others in need. And so the journey begins again.
Below are photos of the 2 existing Murals, Kez has facilitated the design and creation of over the past few years.
