Dubbo Hospital will be turned into a beautiful and educational canvas.
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Artist Fintan Magee has been commissioned to paint two murals on the outside of the hospital. One will be a portrait or figurative piece, while the other will incorporate bush foods and medicine.
"It'll be a series of images of plants. I might even leave captions of what the plants are and list out some of the health benefits so in a way it's interactive and educational, it's not just about the art. Given that it's a hospital I think that's something nice to do," Mr Magee said.
On Monday he met with Aboriginal elders, including Aunty Di McNaboe, to learn about traditional bush foods used in the region and the cultural sensitivities of the artwork.
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Mr Magee will also choose an emerging Aboriginal artist to assist him on the two murals.
"I have someone who works with me in Sydney and travels sometimes so I'm hoping to fill that role with a local and [they can] learn about the process and maybe learn about the practice as well," he said.
"I'm going to be working with someone from an artistic background but someone young that's emerging and will get something out of it."
The work on the murals will start in March and is expected to take three weeks.
Mr Magee said the design would either be projected onto the surfaces or he would use a grid system to create his artwork on the hospital. A scissor lift will allow him to create the large-scale piece.
The artist has undertaken large-scale murals around the world, as well as closer to home like on silos outside Barraba in New England.
He started out as a graffiti writer when he was a teenager.
"My father migrated from Northern Ireland, from Belfast and spent a lot of time there as a child and I kind of experienced the murals there. From quite a young age I've been interested in public art and how you can use it to engage an audience," Mr Magee said.
When he went to art school in his 20s, public art became his focus.
Member for Dubbo Dugald Saunders said the murals were one of several art projects being undertaken at Dubbo Hospital to integrate art and culture into the new buildings.
"This will be topping off what this hospital will be; not just a place of healing but a place that will feel nice to come to," Mr Saunders said.