Oxfam Australia

artist: ADNATE

Bringing the Conversation Back to the Street with Street Art

Location: Fitzroy, Melbourne
Client: Oxfam Australia
Scope: Art Direction, Activation & Production

As global leaders, billionaires, and policymakers gathered behind closed doors at the World Economic Forum in Davos, a very different conversation was unfolding on the streets of Fitzroy through a tailored street art activation.

Not through digital campaigns or targeted messaging, but through public space, using scale, visibility, and presence and world-class street art to bring complex issues into everyday life. In collaboration with Oxfam Australia, Juddy Roller curated and delivered a street art mural by Australian artist Matt Adnate, reframing conversations about wealth inequality, power, and accountability in the urban environment.

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Street art graffiti on brick wall with stylized green, white, and black lettering.
A person wearing an orange safety vest is painting a mural on a brick wall from a blue lift. The mural features a large face with bright colors.
A worker in a safety vest and helmet is painting a mural on a brick wall from a blue lift. The mural features abstract black and white patterns with hints of green and orange, against a building under a clear blue sky.
A large mural on the side of a building depicting two faces, one male with sunglasses and a serious expression, and one female with her mouth open as if shouting, with green and other vibrant colors. Graffiti-style text is seen underneath.

To bring complex conversations around wealth inequality, power, and accountability into the public realm using street art as the vehicle for the message - shifting discourse from policy forums and digital channels into a format that is visible, immediate, and accessible through the use of a large-scale mural.

Delivered in collaboration with Oxfam Australia, the project sought to engage audiences beyond traditional campaign environments, using public art to create a more direct and lasting connection with the issue.

Brief

Juddy Roller curated and delivered a large-scale street art mural by Victorian-based street artist Adnate, transforming a Fitzroy streetscape into a highly visible public statement.

At the centre of the work are two opposing figures placed in deliberate visual tension, a sharply dressed businessman rendered in cold tones, and a protester, calm and unflinching. Together, they highlight the contrast between concentrated wealth and collective action, inviting consideration of the balance of power in contemporary society.

Rather than relying on slogans or overt messaging, the street art mural uses scale, realistic portraiture and unparalleled street presence to create impact, allowing the conversation to emerge through the experience of the artwork itself.

Approach

Positioned within the urban environment, the mural operates beyond the limitations of digital campaigns, engaging audiences through physical space, repetition and proximity through the authentic utilisation of street art.

As people move through the street, the work becomes part of the everyday experience of the city: encountered unexpectedly, photographed, discussed and revisited over time. This sustained visibility creates a deeper and more considered form of engagement.

For Oxfam, the project extends advocacy into shared public space. For Adnate, it continues a practice grounded in representation and social storytelling. And for Juddy Roller, it reflects an ongoing belief that public art can shape conversations, strengthen public engagement, and create meaningful moments within the built environment.

Outcome

“At a time when wealth and power are increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few, this street art mural reflects the growing call for equity, accountability and tax justice.” 

Sarah Rogan, Oxfam Australia Equality Campaign Lead