By Hazel Lekkas
Street art is alive in the western suburbs. I respect the local artists who, with a spray can in hand, tell us a story, raise awareness about a local or global issue, and/or capture a cultural moment in time. However many spray cans they source (which would well exceed the number of spray cans my folks ever stocked in their little hardware shop over 40 years), they leave Westies, and visitors to the West, with a lasting impression, and truly draw us in with their artistic talent. One such street artist is Lukas Kasper, who at just 31 years of age, has a reputation for being an innovator and collaborator beyond his years; admirable qualities.
Kasper holds a residency at the Hunt Club Community and Arts Centre in Deer Park, having trekked to Melbourne from Queensland in 2019 then settling in the western suburbs in 2022. Kasper caught my attention early last year and he keeps directing my eyeballs in his direction. Thankfully he chose the wild west to grace its walls with his kaleidoscope of colour and whimsical beings. Kasper says his attraction to the western suburbs as a mural artist stems from wanting to expand his practice from small shoebox apartments and dusty warehouse art studios to larger spaces that provide the opportunity to creatively grow to make a lasting impact in his community.
With a strong following on Instagram, nearing 10,000, his depictions of flora, beasts and birds, much akin to psychedelic pop art, blend his passions and experiences – volunteering in animal shelters, skateboarding, his beloved pet dogs, connection to nature, and fond childhood memories.
Kasper takes his street art to murals in school yards, connecting with youth seamlessly, and often involving them in projects from design to execution. Kasper has had his art displayed at Altona Meadows Skate Park and CS Gallery in Caroline Springs, and is featured at Sunshine Art Spaces Window Gallery in Sunshine West with a collection of artwork celebrating native Australian animals called Tails of Australia until June 5.
Kasper’s murals can amaze your eyeballs at a number of locations including Woods Street Arts Space in Laverton, Perth Avenue in Albion, (rear of) Chambers Street in Footscray, Copperfield College, Westvale Community Centre in Kings Park, Eka Wholefoods in Seddon and Taco Bill in Keilor Downs.
Kasper has even managed to slap his artistic flair to foil that houses flavoured corn chips devoured by Aussie snackers. Doritos Australia and Kasper teamed up in 2023 for its Limited Edition Street Art Collection flavours.
Along with being a prolific mural artist, he teaches budding artists using video tutorials and by running workshops. How damn cool is this spray painter? Underneath the layers of spray paint that Kasper adorns walls with, there is an artist who has battled mental health problems. Turning personal challenges into social connectedness, Kasper sprays his paint cans to join with locals and their causes, such as fundraising efforts to raise awareness about protecting native wildlife, and through community-minded initiatives such as building a legal wall to invite local artists to explore their artistic expression, as well as nurturing young local artists in collaborative projects. Kasper also taps into sustainable art practices by repurposing used skateboards as his canvases.
Kasper’s surreal art stands up for what really matters; a community spirited spray of colours.
