To celebrate the Byron Community Centre’s ‘130 Years of Community Spirit’, artist Valentina Di Blase is sprucing up parts of the building and adding a wonderful splash of bright colour.
Di Blase, a native of Rome, Italy, caught the eye of the Community Centre’s Communications Manager, Kate Love, when she painted the Bay Leaf Cafe’s artists rotation mural wall.
Ms Love says they engaged Valentina for the mural, not only because she is a Byron Markets stall holder, but also an experienced mural artist whose bold, colourful work beautifully captures the iconic Byron style.
Thrilled with the design
Ms Love says, ‘We’re absolutely thrilled with her design – it’s a striking piece of public art that will be enjoyed by both locals and visitors for years to come.’
Encapsulates Byron
In total, the mural took five days and it highlights many of the things we love about Byron Bay – the markets, the beach and of course, the lighthouse.
Di Blase, who uses Meta Quest VR goggles rather than a projector to trace her murals on the wall, also has some of her work hanging in the foyer of the centre, and will also be restoring the wooden figures that used to be on the facade of the building.
Di Blase graduated from the Liceo Artistico Statale Via di Ripetta – a prestigious school in the arts stream in Rome and has been an Australian citizen for ten years – she and her daughter live in Sunrise and is very grateful to be earning her living from her art.
It’s like falling in love with the right person
She says she feels very blessed and lucky to be commissioned to do the mural. ‘I was happy – super, very happy! And excited! Like, when you fall in love and it’s corresponded.’
Valentina also currently has an exhibition inside the Community Centre in the Byron Spaces Gallery.
In a series of nine paintings, Unveil a Hidden World: Magic Birds of Australia has bright images and hidden secrets for those who look carefully.
The show is on until August 31.
You can see more of Valentia’s artwork on her Instagram page.
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