A new mural by local artist Josh Muir is a striking presence for anybody wandering Alfred Deakin Place in Ballarat's CBD.
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'Roots' by Josh Muir is the inaugural artwork in a space that will be rotated every 12 months.
Speaking to The Courier at the site of the huge mural, which depicts the face of an 'uncle' looking out over humanity and Western society, Mr Muir said he was pleased to have been given the opportunity.
"It means a lot," he said. "I've felt like I'm a voice that can be amplified when given the opportunity such as this".
"The City of Ballarat have always been really supportive of me but this is a big step."
He said that being selected to create the mural showed Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander culture "is alive and strong within this city".
"It's all digitally composed - my computer is my studio. It's a really fun way of producing, it obviously has a different effect to traditional artworks," he said.
Mr Muir, who has Gunditjmara and Yorta Yorta heritage, grew up in Ballarat - he currently lives in Redan - and has won several awards for his artwork.
WATCH: JOSH MUIR EXPLAINS THE CREATIVE PROCESS OF HIS WORK
In early 2016, his work was projected over the exterior of the National Gallery of Victoria for White Night Melbourne.
For the display of Roots, Mr Muir says he hopes it will inspire aspiring young artists to follow in his footsteps.
"As long as I keep pushing the barriers and setting an example, I feel like the young generation will move up with their own take on how they want to perceive culture."
It just disappears into thin air, then the next person will come along. It doesn't faze me. A year is a long time for people to enjoy it
- Josh Muir, artist
He also wanted to send out a message of thanks to those who had helped him on his artistic journey.
"I do suffer a lot with my own personal anxieties," he said. "The support from everyone around me is what makes me possible."
With projects in Warrnambool, Bendigo Art Gallery and beyond, Mr Muir says that 2020 is already shaping up to be a big year.
However in 12 months' time, his creation will give way to the next artwork commissioned to stand in this quiet public space tucked behind Lydiard Street North.
It is not an issue for Mr Muir. "It just disappears into thin air, then the next person will come along," he said. "It doesn't faze me. A year is a long time for people to enjoy it."
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