You would expect Fish Lane to have a seafood shop, but you would be wrong. It’s named after Mr George Fish but the Fish Lane street art trail is amazing.
The Fish Lane Art Precinct
This is Brisbane’s tribute to laneway art. It’s bigger and brighter than you expect and full of memorable images. The art spans the 450-metre length of Fish Lane in South Brisbane with an impressive list of contributing artists, including Drapl, Sofles and Fintan Magee. The quirky lane runs from Grey Street near the Queensland Museum to Manning Street, parallel to Melbourne Street. It was originally named Soda Water Lane after the Eudone Aerated Water Company factory in the 1870s.
It is also home to some great dining options, so if wandering the street art trail makes you hungry, you have plenty of places to stop. My favourites are avant-garde Gauge, ice cream at Messina, a burger at Billykart or Asian-inspired cuisine at Chu The Phat. So put on your walking shoes and stroll down Fish Lane. While the laneway is pedestrian-friendly, it is also used by cars, so always keep a lookout.
Street Art in Fish Lane
Start at the Grey Street end of Fish Lane and look up but don’t forget to look down too because there are also some pieces by cosmic adventurer and truth seeker, Brisbane’s own Blue Art Ninja. Try and spot more as you walk around Brisbane. You’ll find them in the most unlikely places.
I explored the Fish Lane street art trail with a Rob Cochrane on a Brisbane Greeters tour. Brisbane Greeters is an ambassador service that is offered to you on a complimentary basis so that you are able to go behind the scenes of our city to really connect with Brisbane. The service is available to both visitors and residents who want to explore their own city.
You can find greeters in other cities including New York where I enjoyed a fabulous food tour.
Amongst the works starting off the Fish Lane street art trail are Drapl’s two works under the South Brisbane Railway, Gold Ripples and Afloat. These were part of a G20 summit Pillars Project.
The Steam Machine sculpture by James and Eleanor Avery plays homage to the old days when Fish Lane was home to the Brisbane Steam Laundry. Can you see the jets of steam that they mimic? You can’t miss these bright blue rolled aluminium sculptures on the corner of Hope Street and Fish Lane, all part of South Brisbane’s street art trail.
On the opposite corner is Fintan Magee’s Head in the Clouds 2. He’s internationally known for his work but just a Brisbane boy at heart. This painting marks the de-industrialisation of South Brisbane as high rise accommodation towers take over from factories and warehouses.
Pocket Park is believed to be Brisbane’s smallest park but there’s still room for a bit of fun like Dogman and Rabbitwoman by Gillie and Marc.
From New York to Brisbane, these topiary-inspired sculptures show that even dogs and rabbits can get along, sort of!
South Brisbane’s street art is all about challenging perceptions and making people rethink their ideas.
At the back of Legacy House, an organisation which provides support to people in need, is A Life Long Promise by Jodie Connolly. Legacy upholds a promise made after World War I to support the families of those who never made it home.
Keep looking up, even if your neck gets sore, to spot East of the Mountains and West of the Sea by Lix North. They stand 10.5 metres tall and look at each other across Fish Lane. It’s the past and the present, with Mr George Fish as the past, and the artist herself and the future.
All this walking and looking might make you feel like a good coffee and the Paladar Fumior Salon, now Miss Green’s Beans, is the perfect pit stop in Fish Lane.
It’s a wonderful hit of my favourite colour, red, on the Fish Lane streetart trail. The building is always a stand out when I drive down the street and a walking tour is a great way to peek inside.
The street art is above the building in beautiful, contrasing blues. Nice To Meet You Again, is by Hong Kong artist Bao Ho and is his first in Brisbane.
You might be too distracted by the delicious aromas from Chu the Phat to notice this art installation by Nike Savvas. There are 85 discs of acrylic suspended over what is a laneway between Fish Lane and Melbourne Street.
Mimi’s The Harvest represents the fours stages of wine production.
You’ll find this work by Sofles. The Finished Wall, at 75 Fish Lane.
Find more street art in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley or explore more of South Brisbane with these 10 things to do at South Bank.
Want to eat close by? You will find plenty of amazing Asian-inspired food at Chu The Phat.
