Summer street art comes to Lake Tyers

Picturesque Gippsland seaside village Lake Tyers Beach is ringing in the new year with a brand new street art mural. Popular cafe The General, overlooking the beach, has commissioned notable Australian street artist Kaff-eine to transform their large wall with an image that reflects the character of the area.

Kaff-eine is one of the official Silo Art Trail artists; she has also painted public murals around Australia, and throughout Europe, the USA, Philippines, and Mexico. Kaff is excited to begin The General’s mural this week, stating that “I couldn’t think of a better way to begin 2023 than painting a beautiful mural on a great cafe in a lovely little beach town! Painting in the sun and ocean breeze, drinking good coffee and soaking up the social vibes; this is going to be a great couple of weeks”.

Husbands Steve Franklin and Rommel Canoy owners of The General Lake Tyers beach cafe gave Kaff-eine free rein to design a mural that would speak to locals and visitors. Kaff-eine wanted to acknowledge and respect the Traditional Owners of Lake Tyers / Bung Yarnda, the Krowathunkooloong clan of the Gunaikurnai nation. She also wanted to share her own experience of relaxing on the soft sand of Lake Tyers beach in summer, surrounded by the calm quiet water and tall forests; and create an image that depicts the laid-back, calm atmosphere for which Lake Tyers Beach is now known.

After presenting them with a few draft images, The General chose Kaff’s picture of two adults lying in the warm sand, one lazily strumming a ukulele, surrounded by sleeping pelicans and a curious musk duck. The man wears a prawn-patterned towel, a reference to the area’s reputation for good prawning. A bucket and shovel half-buried in the sand indicate either the presence of children, or playful adults. The pelicans represent Borun, and the musk duck Tuk, the first Gunaikurnai people to come down from the mountains in the Dreaming.

The General and Kaff-eine invite the public to watch the mural take shape over the coming fortnight. Once completed, the peaceful beach scene will be visible from Lake Tyers Beach, encouraging its audience to immerse themselves in the relaxing, special charm of this unique area.

You can follow Kaff-eine on her instagram handle @kaffeinepaints