Over the December 2020 school holidays, two former students, Daniel Cydes and Jahn Birkner, completed a mural at the school. The mural is on the back wall of our school hall and is accessible for all visitors to the school to view. The artwork is nothing short of amazing!
We are so proud that this artwork was designed and completed by former students of Winmalee High School. Daniel and Jahn were incredibly generous in completing this work. As professional mural artists, we are truly honoured to have their work grace our school walls. As seen in the image, the artwork is about our students. The idea was initially inspired by Lily Patterson, former student and 2020 graduating School Captain – her vision was to commission a mural which symbolised the strength of our school community.
After initial meetings with Lily, Daniel Cydes, Peter Smith (our General Assistant) and the principal, the idea quickly turned into a formal submission to the Department.
The artwork represents Year 12, 2020 and their incredible resilience, but it also represents all students of our school, past present and the future. The student depicted wears a back pack and a senior jersey and they are looking forward, symbolising optimism and pushing through challenge. The pencil behind the ear represents hard work, relentless effort and achievement. The native flora and fauna represent the unique and stunning natural environment around us, care for the environment and regeneration after bushfires. The feathers and the butterfly also symbolise students whom we have lost over the years.
We hope this mural brings joy and inspiration to students and staff for years to come. Thank you to Daniel and Jahn for their work and we look forward to a time in the near future when they can visit a school assembly and share their experiences as professional mural artists with our students.
