The Mirror News

Explosion of colour and creativity in Yarram

• Heesco Khosnaran says that there is something for everyone in his painting at
the Ship Inn in Yarram.

HEESCO Khosnaran, a famous Mongolian born street artist, has finished painting 10 large walls in Yarram and said he found it a big challenge but really enjoyable.

“I have loved watching how this project has pulled the whole community together during a very difficult time,” he said.

“It has also been a great project for me personally as I get very bored if I just do the same thing all the time. I have jumped from one fantastic painting to the next and every one of them has been so much fun.”

The final painting at The Ship Inn has taken him a long time to complete. He and owners Paul Frost and Jody Twite have lived and dined together during the coronavirus pandemic and spent many hours discussing what should go on the wall.

“This wall has been the most fun,” Heesco said. “Paul and Jody have lots of families coming through, so we wanted there to be something for everyone. The other walls have one or two focal points but this one has so much going on.”

Heesco said he loved painting Kara Moana Healey for Garry Stephens on the Betta Home Living wall at the back of the Bull Bar.

“She was such an amazing woman and so important for Yarram and the whole of Australia because she basically lived with the animals and was a conservationist and the first female national park ranger in Victoria.”

Originator of the idea of Heesco Town, Eric Greenaway, said that this project has brought out a lot of history that some people may not have known about.

He plans to get Heesco back to do a painting of Dame Ada Crossley who was born in Tarraville and went on to become very famous after singing in London in front of royalty.

“Her version of Oh Rest in the Lord was played by the band as the titanic went down,” Eric said.

Heesco said he is looking forward to coming back to Yarram as there are now a number of other people wanting walls painted.

Wayne Tindall who took Eric Greenaway’s vision and made it happen with his close friend Heesco said he felt very satisfied with the project.

“This has really put Yarram on the map. We have had coverage from Channel 9, ABC Gippsland, newspapers, magazines and Destination Gippsland. There is also about to be an article published in The Age.”

Wayne said the response on Facebook has been quite astounding with thousands of comments, shares and likes over the last 6 weeks.

“I am now working on the website where there will be maps and back stories ensuring that Yarram will be a ‘must see’ for silo and street art enthusiasts,” he explained.

He is also cutting a Documentary of the project that will be played at a big party once we are all allowed to gather again. 

“Students from Yarram Secondary College were able to work with us on the doco for a week or so before Covid-19 hit. They learned many filming skills from myself and Matt Langdon from the Hero Round Table,” he said.

Heesco said it has been a dream job and Wayne said it’s been a dream project.

“It went seamlessly and because the money was all raised through the actual building and business owners and through Eric Greenaway and others’ generous donations, facilitated by the Yarram and District Traders and Tourism, it kept it all very simple,” Wayne said.

For more information or if you have a wall you would like to fund to be painted call Wayne on 0417 500 133

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