Local artist, Gus Leunig, will bring his love of the natural environment where he lives in northeast Victoria, to the streets of Benalla, as one of ten leading artists in the 2025 Benalla Street Art Festival.
Calling the rich tablelands and rolling hills of the Strathbogie Ranges home, Gus Leunig’s artwork celebrates the environment and seasonal diversity of the bush through prints and paintings.
Benalla Rural City Mayor Cr Bernie Hearn said she was delighted to have the calibre of Gus Leunig as part of the artist line-up in the 2025 Benalla Street Art Festival.
“We are thrilled to feature local artist, Gus Leunig, at this year’s festival, and welcome his vibrant and intuitive style which is inspired from his love of nature and the environment,” Cr Hearn said.
“Gus Leunig’s colourful paintings encapsulate his love of nature in country Victoria where he lives and works.”
“His style is poetic and created through a mixture of observation and imaginative expression.”
Cr Hearn said Gus Leunig’s early years spending time with his artist-father Michael Leunig in the small Aboriginal community of Lockhart River in Cape York Peninsula, deepened his connection to the land and its people.
“Surrounded by local Aboriginal artists in the arts centre, Gus’s artistic journey was profoundly shaped by the territory, the isolation, and the joy of simple childhood pleasures like fishing, hunting, and laughing,” Cr Hearn said.
Gus Leunig said, “I’m really excited to see what I can create in a social setting. My art practice has typically been quite solitary, so the chance to work on a large-scale painting at the Benalla Art Gallery, with people coming and going, introduces an element of spontaneity and risk that’s unknown to me. I’m eager to explore how my natural reactions unfold in this environment and what kind of artwork I’ll produce.”
“I’ve been a long-standing admirer of this festival for providing a platform where such a diverse range of artists can share their creativity and talent, with both the local community and the visitors to Benalla.”
Gus Leunig’s work is held in private collections and public spaces. As an artist, he continues to push creative boundaries through painting, illustration, and digital media.
The 2025 Benalla Street Art Festival is a weekend celebration of arts, colour and culture.
Held from 11–13 April and curated by Eddie Zammit, ten talented artists will transform Benalla’s walls and laneways into a large-scale, al fresco art gallery.
The 10 new mural works will be complemented by a festival schedule of community fringe events, artist talks and workshops, street art tours, and live art activities.
The 2025 Benalla Street Art Festival is supported by the Victorian Government through its Regional Events Fund.
For more information, visit www.benallastreetartfestival.com.au and follow Benalla Street Art Festival on Instagram and Facebook.