“Inspire Growth”
How Can Hyper-Local Grassroots Changemaking Inspire Sustainability Through Community-Driven Art?
In a vibrant Canberra suburb known for its café culture, I collaborated with local businesses and residents to create a mural that celebrates sustainability while addressing the environmental impact of disposable coffee cups. Research revealed that Australians discard 2.7 million single-use cups daily, making them a major contributor to litter. These insights, combined with conversations with local café owners—such as one business donating food waste for composting—inspired a focus on reusable cups and recycling as central themes.
The mural weaves together symbols of growth and sustainability, including mushrooms inspired by fungi research from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to represent recycling and renewal. The phrase “Inspire Growth” carries a dual message, encouraging spiritual growth through sustainable living and the physical growth of food production.
Adding a playful touch, an adapted KeepCup logo featuring the words “Keep Up” challenges viewers to reflect on their role in fostering a sustainable future. This collaborative project serves as both a call to action and a celebration of the community’s efforts to embrace sustainable practices.
Year
2022
Client
ACT Government
"Rather than making viewers feel bad about their waste, Inspire Growth uses humour and witty juxtapositions to convey its environmental message, helping to overcome the anxiety and apathy that the current issue-based approach to climate storytelling creates.
BOHIE’s public art embodies environmental meaning-making through emotive visual storytelling. Her murals are not just in the public, but for the public."
— Excerpt from Street Art as a Vehicle for Environmental Science Communication science paper by the Centre of the Public Awareness of Science at the Australian National University
Interview with the Artist
Interview in front of the artwork with Center of the Public Awareness of Science at the Australian National University