Rising Phoenix

2 July 2018

Rising Phoenix

Renowned street artist Scottie ‘Bonsai’ Neoh has created a high impact new artwork at Dandenong Market.

Dandenong Market challenged Scottie to paint a large-scale piece that reflects the character of the Dandenong Market community. We wanted the phoenix to represent resilience, strong work ethic and tenacity. The piece, titled ‘Rising Phoenix’, is a geometric burst of energy. It utilises a palette of bright, natural colours, dark tones. These aspects in geometric forms create a powerful, flowing movement.

The artwork is located on the external Bazaar wall facing Cleeland Street.

At 8 metres high and 14 metres wide, ‘Rising Phoenix’ has huge impact, engaging visitors and passers-by. Additionally, the work brings a modern, street-style aesthetic to the 154 year old market.

“My approach will focus on creating an artwork to complement the architectural elements, user space and embody the spirit of the Dandenong Market community. The powerful and elegant Phoenix embodies regeneration and power – a positive and powerful symbol of tenacity and resilience. The phoenix has cultural roots in European and Asian mythology. The artwork will create an energetic and positive identity for the public space,” said Scottie.

In addition to the well-known mythology of the phoenix in Greek and Egyptian cultures, there are many other analogues including:

the Hindu garuda and gandaberunda;
the Slavic firebird, the Persian simurgh;
Georgian paskunji, the Arabian anqa;
the Turkish Zümrüdü Anka;
the Tibetan Me byi karmo;
the Chinese fenghuang; and
the zhu que, and the Japanese hō-ō.

Dandenong Market’s General Manager Jennifer Hibbs said of the street art programme, ‘As one of the largest retail and tourism hubs in Melbourne’s South East, Dandenong Market aims to continue its positioning as a vibrant and modern attraction, with a long and proud history.’

‘Given the market community’s vitality, spirit and liveliness, the adoption of ‘street style’ artwork is a natural fit, playing to the area’s strengths. Dandenong Market’s street art programme will enhance the streetscape and market interior, and contribute to Greater Dandenong’s already vibrant arts scene.’

To visit the artwork, exit the market onto Cleeland street and walk towards Clow Street. The artwork is positioned on the exterior of the Bazaar, between the wooden gates and Cafe Marketto.

Rising Phoenix was commissioned by Dandenong Market as part of our street art programme. Other artworks include Year of the Wolf by Heesco, A Colourful Past by Heesco, In Bloom by Heesco, Childhood Dream by Kenz as well as To Market To Market by Kaff-Eine.

About street artist, Bonsai

Scottie Neoh is an artist based on the Bellarine Peninsula, VIC. He has used his many years of working as a graffiti artist together with his love of nature and geometry to distill a style that is very much his own.

Bonsai’s work knows no bounds – mural painting, signage, interior design, fashion design, illustration, product design, you name it – he has applied his craft to it and made it his own.

Bonsai is part of the Wooden Foundations collective, a group of artists who share a similar ideology and a broad aesthetic style that is abundant with the wonder of nature, and is also the designer and producer of Tailfeather, a handmade leather and textile goods company.

To view more of Bonsai’s work, visit his Instagram or website.