Carnarvon artist Miranda Plum completes set of Instagram-worthy wall murals

A Carnarvon artist has finished a set of three wall murals which pay tribute to the region’s diverse wildlife and deep farming roots.

Making good use of a $15,000 grant from Regional Arts WA, Carnarvon woman Miranda Plum has added a splash of colour to otherwise drab buildings through a series of public artworks.

She teamed up with celebrated Broome-based artist Sobrane to paint a mural at the Carnarvon Airport and, in her first solo attempt, brightened up the side of the Bankwest building on Robinson Street.

Plum titled the work Abundance, with a mango tree honouring the hard working farmers who grow food for WA.

A whale, fish and wave represents “the gifts of our incredible coastline”.

For her last piece, Plum painted cicadas breaking out of their shell and taking flight on a chiropractor’s office in the centre of town.

She named the artwork Armour, drawing on the theme of forgiveness.

“I thought this process was what forgiveness feels like, how we harden to things and freedom is what we feel when we soften and let go,” she said.

“We can forget that forgiveness is not condoning, and something can be not OK but we may forgive because we understand.”

Plum wove a poem written by her grandmother in the painting.

“The most amazing thing about this project has been how well it has been received from the community,” she said.

“I’ve only had great comments. People have warned me about graffiti but no one has touched them.”

New to the mastery of mural painting, Plum said she found the work addictive.

“Working up really high was amazing,” she said.

“You are creating huge lines with your whole body, not just some tiny movement with your hand.”