Understory by Sophia Connell-Lengerman
Work: Understory
Artist: Sophia Connell-Lengerman
Year: Commissioned by Hobsons Bay City Council in 2024 (completed 2025)
Location: 33A Mason Street, Newport
Understory's design is based on the diverse aquatic lifeforms that inhabit the Jawbone Reserve in Hobsons Bay.
The green, brown, red and coralline algae, which are often attached to the iconic basalt rocks, provide shelter for numerous species including nudibranchs and sea dragons.
The mural aims to connect local experiences and observations at Hobsons Bay’s intertidal coastal region to the wider Great Southern Reef ecosystem, which expands for 8,000 km across the south of Australia and Tasmania. The reef is a global biodiversity hotspot and most species found here are endemic to the region. Algae such as golden kelp and the marine life that depend on it, are threatened by changing ocean temperatures, pollution, and invasive species.
The mural is designed to be playful and encourage curiosity around this beautiful, local yet endangered ecosystem.
About the artist:
Sophia Connell-Lengerman is an artist and ecologist based in Naarm/Melbourne. She graduated from the London School of Muralism in 2021, and has worked on 10 public murals since, with a strong focus on engaging with community groups in the design development process. Her work tends to portray natural landscapes and local stories, thus bridging her experience in ecology, social geography, and public art.
(Photos by Matto Lucas)