Project 5 – Volume 8

Project 5 is a public, open air art exhibition that will be on display for a month in the stroll-friendly grounds of Darling Quarter. Now in its eighth year – hence Volume 8 – it has championed street art as well as each year raising money for a nominated charity.

Produced by aMBUSH Gallery, the event features four prominent street artists. As well as showcasing existing works, the artists will each create a new work live on location. These will then be auctioned off at the end of the exhibition with proceeds this year going to children’s theatre group, Monkey Baa.

The Volume 8 artists are Brett Chan, Georgia Hill, Kaff-eine, and Shida.

Kaff-eine is a Melbourne based artist whose career path might itself be considered a creative work: horse-riding instructor, tree-lopper, lawyer, public servant. Street artist is the calling to which she has finally succumbed – and she feels it is informed by her previous occupations:

“Everything I’ve done I’m still using and combining today…the work that I do is still advocacy, it’s just doing it through visual art rather than, you know, in the guise of a lawyer.”

Giving up a well-paying job and selling a very nice house to be a full time artist may seem reckless, even eccentric, but it was an easy choice according to Kaff-eine.

“Street art kind of snuck in through the back door,”  she says, explaining that she would work 40 hours a week in an office then do the equivalent running around at night creating pieces.

“My night times were so colourful and exciting and fun… and then during the day everything seemed a bit greyer…grey office, grey computer, grey suit.”

It’s her first time at Project 5 and she’s looking forward to the challenge. (RB)

Until Oct 30, Auction Oct 27. Darling Quarter (Village Green), Darling Harbour. FREE. Info: www.project5.com.au

BY RITA BRATOVICH