‘Three Mobs’ is a symbol of resilience, diversity and unity.
Each of the interwoven rainbow serpents represent the three largest First Nations groups; Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Pacific Islander.
Taking inspiration from their flags, the Aboriginal serpent is red, black and yellow, the Torres Strait Islander serpent is blue, white and green, and the Pacific Island serpent is all other colours. Lastly, the very fine line filled with shimmering gold that winds throughout the work pays homage to Wing’s own Chinese heritage and incites the idea of value – to the street, to the economy and to the people.
‘Three Mobs’ responds to the quirky architecture of the wall, with its arches, rising step skyline and semi-circle render.
From the very first time he laid eyes on the wall, Wing saw snake scales. Thus, the artwork endeavours to play with the space and honour the fluid movement of a serpent: greeting the Queen Street foot traffic then winding round the corner onto Dumaresq, climbing up off the pavement and onto to the wall, weaving across the surface then curling around the arches and launching into the sky.
At its heart, this work is an aspirational affirmation to the people of South West Sydney, a reminder that they can go anywhere and achieve anything.