Liam McNally
You might notice a splash of vibrancy if you walk or drive past the corner of Station Road and Brooklyn Road in Melton South, thanks to a mural freshly painted by Candela Alconada.
Ms Alconada is an Argentinian-born, Melbourne based artist who has been painting professionally for the last six years.
Melton council commissioned the work, which she said she designed to represent the “diversity of the society” of Melton, while bringing “happy vibes” to what used to be a grey wall.
“I Paint because I love the way it feels, but when I have the chance to do it in public where it changes the space, it closes the circle, it gives what I’m doing more of a purpose,” she said.
“I believe that there’s a change through art, and you can see it happening, seeing people look at the walls and kids making up stories about what it’s about… an old man told me he wants to bring his grandkids to see it.
“I’m only there for two weeks and leave, then it belongs to the people around it.”
The mural is the third instalment of a wider project with Melton council called The Stories That Connect Us that began in 2021.
Ms Alconada said her first two pieces for the project were garden bed painting workshops.
“I’m really grateful for the opportunity from the council, and throughout the whole project I’ve been getting a lot of nice feedback, I’ve felt really supported by the whole community,” she said.
