Known by the artist name Heesco®, Khosnaran Khurelbaatar is a Mongolian-Australian muralist and fine artist. Born in 1979 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Heesco moved to Australia in 1999. He graduated from the Sydney College of the Arts with a Bachelor of Visual Arts Degree in 2005. Relocating to Melbourne in 2010, he has established himself as one of the leading contemporary mural artists.
In 2020 Heesco was commissioned by the residents of Yarram, Victoria, to create a series of murals to garner visitors into the small town, in a project known as “Heesco Town”, which received national and international media attention, and was awarded “Best Street Art Trail”. Currently there are 22 murals by Heesco in Yarram.
The same year Heesco was commissioned by Her Excellency the Governor of Victoria to create a mural expressing gratitude to the frontline workers during the catastrophic bushfires and the COVID19 pandemic. The Governor subsequently donated the mural to Yarram where it is on permanent display at the Memorial Garden. Heesco is currently Australia’s most prolific silo artist to date, with 5 silos and a water tower to his name. His silo artwork in Karoonda, SA, was recognised as the “Best of the Best” and “Best Mega Mural” in the annual Australian Street Art Awards. Heesco’s Weethalle silo art was featured on limited edition stamps by Australia Post in 2018, which featured first silos painted in each state.
Other notable projects include a mural for World’s 50 Best event in Melbourne; curating a 100m mural for the United Nations in Ulaanbaatar; collaborations with Marvel, Youtube, Puma, Nike, Nikon, NEP Australia, Ground Central Coffee Co (NYC), and Superchief Gallery (NYC).
Heesco’s murals have been featured in National Geographic, Geo Saison (Germany), StuArt Magazine (France), Graffiti and Street Art Around the Globe (Spain), and in numerous local books and magazines. He frequently works with local councils in youth and community development programs, as well as schools and universities, as a mentor and workshop coordinator, as well as pro bono work for various NGOs and charity organisations. Heesco lives and works in Melbourne, Australia.
Hamish Hall is the founder of Archaica Schola, a new art space in the Hobart CBD running a range of workshops.
Hamish is a born and bred Hobartian and likes to blur the boundaries between contemporary street art styles and ideologies, and traditional oil painting techniques. This paradox of genres, coupled with an interest in masculine culture, allows him to create a broad range of visual explorations.
Since graduating from The Tasmanian Art School, Hamish has been focused on exploring new techniques and art conventions in an educational setting.
Hamish is represented by Penny Contemporary Gallery Hobart and Jimmie Karlsson in Europe You can also find his work on Instagram.
Damien Mitchell is a graffiti artist and muralist originally from Wagga Wagga, NSW. He has recently relocated from New York to Sydney and has painted and exhibited work around the world in more than 30 countries. He has also provided artwork for the Global Mural Conference, Mi Sangre Foundation, MTV Music Video Awards, Doctors Without Borders, MLB All Star Game, Michelle Obama, among numerous others. His work, often realistic, portrays characters and scenes taken from the world around him.
Marc Spijkerbosch has been delivering public art around New Zealand and overseas for over 25 years. A multi award-winning artist experienced in the civic and commercial application of the illusion genre, Marc’s work enjoys international acclaim.
In the last 25 years, Marc has painted some 400 trompe l‘oeil works for hotels, restaurants, residential, civic and corporate clients. His work sees him travel extensively around New Zealand, with murals now in Australia, India, and the United States.
Using the trompe l‘oeil genre, Marc won the prestigious judge‘s award at the International Mural Fest in Sheffield, Tasmania in 2008, 2009 and again in 2010.
Marc has worked with cities and communities across New Zealand and abroad. His ‘hands on’ knowledge and depth of experience in the public art field has made a valuable contribution to the City of Rotorua during his tenure as Community/Public Arts Advisor.
During this time, Marc has been responsible for a range of public art initiatives including the creation of the ‘Sulphur Lake Sculpture Trail’ and his successful implementation of the first ‘percent-for-arts’ policy in New Zealand, an internationally recognized mechanism for funding public art.
Marc has an inherent ability to connect community with Council and stakeholders. He is frequently engaged by organisations, community groups and learning institutions to share his colourful experiences and successes, offering fresh insights and energy into the public art arena. Marc has judged the Katikati Mural Competition in New Zealand and has been a past judge for Mural Fest.
