THIS summer 20 street artists from across the globe will transform the Fremantle Piazza with murals during a festival of urban art.

As part of PIAZZA Walls x No More Blank Walls, 16 large-scale permanent works will be created across 725sqm of twisting laneways and walls.

The two-week festival will include workshops and artist talks, and a Block Party with DJs, food and entertainment as artists work on murals in front of the public.

Some big hitters are flying in for the festival—El Mac and Jeks (both USA), Bezt (Poland) and Dulk (Spain).

There’ll also be a healthy quota of local artists including Hayley Welsh, James Giddy and Hope.  

Based in Perth, Welsh is best known for her idiosyncratic Lost Creatures—cute and slightly strange, they are trying to “find their way home”.

While urban art is typically a vivid explosion of colour, Welsh’s monochrome works have a melancholy and depth you might associate with traditional “gallery art”.

Originally from Blackburn in England, she immigrated to Australia in 2009 and admits to feeling a bit lost at times, struggling with the guilt of being on the other side of the world from family members.

“Lost Creatures are kind of a therapy for me. I find that I need to paint them. It’s not something that I do for a job,” she says.

“It overarchingly makes me feel better by creating these creatures and dealing with it.

“And then because I try and leave them as open as I can, other people can hopefully connect with them.”

Welsh says that once you get into a deeper conversation with people, you realise that everyone is a little lost and trying to navigate their way through life as best they can.

“I guess it’s because I paint from a place that’s vulnerable, they speak to people because it’s allowing them to go there too,” she says.

“I think because the Lost Creatures are so cute, I can play with different conversations, but people still feel in a safe zone, even though they might be talking about something a bit darker.

“Not necessarily in a preachy way, but in a safe, fluffy, I’ve-got-you kind of way.” 

For the festival she’s been asked to do something a little different—create a nature trail of sorts: a series of smaller works in the nooks and crannies of the Piazza.

“Normally I do larger-scale works, so it will be a fun challenge,” she says.

“I’m planning to reflect Freo’s nautical location in some way, as well as incorporate my Lost Creatures.”

Growing up, Welsh was inspired by Jim Henson’s puppets, especially those in Labyrinth.

She’s been a full-time artist for more than a decade and splits her time between Australia and Europe, creating street art for festivals and doing impromptu works.

“One of the reasons I do monochrome pieces is that I don’t need to carry a lot of equipment around and can travel light and do spontaneous works when the mood strikes,” she says.

“But I really love the idea that artworks in black and white are a bit more timeless, and they’re sitting with everything that’s there, rather than competing with colour.”

Moving

Another Perth artist at the festival, Hope, is known for his uplifting community murals that often feature portraiture.

He’s done several striking murals across Perth, including a collaboration honouring Fremantle Dockers legend Michael “Sonny” Walters and former West Coast Eagles ruckman Nic Naitanui.

“Personally, I find it really moving to see people in art, particularly paintings where people have strong emotions,” he says.

“I find I connect with that and I have a lot of big emotions myself that I can express through other people’s faces and their stories of hope.

“I’m latching on to humanity. I love when communities can collectivise, be the underdogs against the odds and bring love and compassion together through shared experiences.”

For the festival, Hope will be collaborating with First Nations artist Starsan.

“We both have a strong sense of social justice particularly around advocating for the rights of young people to feel safe and be accepted,” he says.

Hope has childhood ties to Freo—he used to catch the 920 from Kwinana to study ballet at John Curtin College of the Arts, and later graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Notre Dame university.

“I have lots of great memories of my mum taking my lil bro and I to the Freo markets on the weekends,” he says.

“It just felt like such a fun and vibrant place to visit and see all the interesting personalities that would be a part of the community.

“I lived for a little bit in St Kilda and my mum would take me out to multicultural events and I just feel like it’s a privilege for different groups to share their culture and experiences, even when they aren’t always given the dignity they should be.”

Originally from Darwin, he grew up in his grandad’s home in Kwinana and was raised by his “beautiful” single mum.

During high school, street art helped Hope through some tough times.

“Home wasn’t always a safe place for me and we had a big family living with my grandad so every opportunity I had I wanted to get out of home and paint,” he says.

“There’s so much freedom in being outside and painting on the streets and it feels right in the way that it’s free for the community to experience. I grew up inspired by Shepard Fairey and his ability to communicate messages of hope with his art.”

PIAZZA Walls is a collaboration with street art studio Blank Walls, whose founder, Jerome Davenport (aka Ketones6000), helped paint a rousing Dockers mural on the Cappuccino Strip in the lead-up to the Grand Final.

Davenport says the festival is their most ambitious to date.

“Previous No More Blank Walls festivals have typically featured one or two international headline artists alongside local talent. PIAZZA Walls is different. We’re bringing together one of the largest international artist line-ups we’ve assembled, while creating opportunities for local, Western Australian and Australian artists to work alongside them,” he says.

The festival is the latest step in the rejuvenation of the Fremantle Piazza, which connects South Terrace to Paddy Troy Mall.

Since being purchased for $12.5 million by WA-born, New York-based businesswoman Bronwyn Owen in September 2025, the once tired-looking space, which could feel a bit dodgy at night, has been brought back to life and is now a hub for creatives and independent businesses.

Recent initiatives include repainting, repairing the large fountain, a community planting session and the commissioning of striking urban art by Bordalo II (Portugal), Aéro (France) and locals Ketones6000 and ArtbyRow.

“PIAZZA Walls is much more than a festival,” Owen says. “It’s an investment in Fremantle’s creative future and a lasting contribution to the cultural identity of this precinct.

“We’ve spent the past year creating a place where artists feel welcome, supported and celebrated. To now have some of the world’s leading street artists working alongside our own local talent is incredibly exciting, and it’s a powerful expression of what we believe at PIAZZA—that artists live here.

“These artworks will remain long after the festival ends and will cement PIAZZA as an international destination for creativity, exploration and connection for years to come.”

PIAZZA Walls x No More Blank Walls runs from November 28 to December 13 at Piazza Fremantle, 36 South Terrace. To find out more, visit piazzafremantle.com/whats-on/piazza-walls/.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK