Meet Fintan Magee, a prominent Australian street artist known for his large-scale murals, often depicting social and political issues. Originally born in Lismore, he began his career as a graffiti artist in Brisbane, in the early 2000s.
See Fintan's latest work at 501 Wilson St, Eveleigh
Magee's work is characterised by his use of vibrant colours, photorealistic images, and striking compositions that reflect an interest in environmentalism, migration, and social inequality. His murals can be found on buildings worldwide, including in Australia, the United States, Canada, and Europe, and have been featured in numerous exhibitions and publications.
Magee is considered one of Australia's most talented and influential street artists and continues to create thought-provoking public artworks that challenge the status quo.
We caught up with Magee to learn more about his career.
Have you always been an artist? Where did it all begin? “I have been working as a full-time artist for the last 12 years; before that, I sold weed, washed dishes, and worked in a call centre. My life skills outside of art are pretty limited.”
What would you credit for getting you where you are today?
“I grew up in Brisbane and studied at The Queensland College of Art. I worked very hard and got extremely lucky”.
What’s your relationship to Newtown/Enmore?
“I moved to Sydney from Brisbane in 2013 after I finished art school, where I lived in the Inner West for almost ten years.”
Do you have any future works planned for the Inner West? “At the moment, I am designing two new works in the area; one in Annandale and the other in Leichhardt.”
Could you tell us about your latest piece? Readers can find it on this issue’s front cover:
“The work is titled, “Patye and William” and is located beside Carriageworks at Everleigh.
Is there a reason you used this location? “I didn’t select the location; the City of Sydney commissioned it for this year's Art and About program. Liza Bahamondes was in charge of location choice!
For me, it fit perfectly because I wanted to do a diptych of Patyegarang - c 1780s, an Australian Aboriginal woman, thought to be from the Cammeraygal clan of the Eora nation, a crucial part of the preservation of the Gadigal language - and William Dawes - an English Lieutenant and astronomer, who recorded a conversation with Patyegarang, which remains today the only known first-hand accounts of the Gadigal language.
So having two walls side by side worked perfectly. It’s one of my favourite walls that I’ve done in Sydney.”
Can you tell us more about the style used for “Patye and William”?
“The work is based on portrait photos I took through hammer effect glass. Because the work depicts two historical figures, this effect was about blurring or deconstructing their image; this acts as an allegory for the imperfect nature of memory and the way our stories get lost over time.”
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