The streets of Toowong have been transformed into an open-air gallery, with local residents painting vibrant artworks on traffic signal boxes throughout the suburb. These eye-catching installations celebrate everything from local stories to community connections, turning everyday street furniture into conversation starters.
Windows of Toowong
At the corner of Coronation Drive and Booth Street, artists Matisse Raphael and Aya Stronach have transformed an Energex padmount transformer into an imaginary apartment building. Painted in June 2022, the artwork features multiple window panels, each framing diverse characters who peer out or sometimes in, representing Toowong’s cosmopolitan community. A flowering jacaranda filled with local wildlife completes the scene, capturing the vibrancy of this inner-Brisbane suburb.
The Toowong Cat and Fiddle
Created by eight-year-old Alice White in December 2018, this design at the intersection of Milton Road, Croydon Street and Morley Street takes inspiration from the nearby Cat and Fiddle shopping centre. The artwork features a possum dressed in Toowong School uniform alongside colourful Queenslander houses and a sunset characteristic of local skies. The piece earned a nomination for Best 12 and Under.
Paper Wings
Located at the Sylvan Road pedestrian crossing near Kate Street, Maleea Holbert’s August 2025 design depicts origami cranes drifting through the sky. Positioned directly in front of Toowong State School, the artwork aims to capture children’s imagination whilst providing a calming presence for parents and passers-by. Holbert drew inspiration from memories of making paper cranes in Japanese class.
There’s Always a Silver Lining
At the same Sylvan Road pedestrian crossing location (a previous artwork on this box), D.K. Perkins and Peta Thomson created this May 2021 piece asking the age-old question: is the glass half empty or half full? The design encourages viewers to look for silver linings and sparked from the family’s experiences during 2020. The artwork won Best 18 and Under in 2021.
Dancing in the Dark Forest
Mira Westaway’s December 2016 artwork at the intersection of Moggill Road, Jephson Street and High Street combines her passions for ballet and fashion design with a Halloween twist. The piece earned nominations across multiple categories, including Overall Winner and both youth age groups.
The Cloisters
Leesl Ross brings the University of Queensland to Toowong’s streets with this October 2016 depiction of the university’s iconic sandstone walkway and arcade. Located at Brisbane Street and Glen Road, the artwork earned a nomination for Overall Winner.
Hope, Resilience, Recovery
At Sherwood Road and Holland Street, Lisa Kelly’s April 2019 artwork promotes the message of Eating Disorders Queensland, a community-based not-for-profit organisation. The piece serves as a sister artwork to Kelly’s other box on the same street, designed to bring the community together and remind viewers that beauty comes in all forms. It received a nomination for the Energex Box Award.
No Wrong Way to Have a Body
Lisa Kelly’s September 2018 design at Sherwood Road and Jephson Street celebrates bodies of all shapes and sizes through depictions of various female forms throughout history. Created in recognition of Body Image and Eating Disorders Awareness Week, the artwork was produced in collaboration with The Eating Issues Centre and earned nominations for Overall Winner and Best Organisation.
Metropolitan Manifesto 2.0
Kate Halling’s January 2020 design at Benson Street and High Street explores how people make sense of their surroundings through sensory experiences. Using varying colours, shapes and forms, the artwork responds to its location and aims to provoke a positive sensory experience for viewers.
Peck-nic Time
Gabrielle Cook, a disabled artist, created this July 2025 artwork at Jephson Street and Lissner Street featuring iconic Australian birds enjoying a picnic of recognisable Aussie snacks. Cook, working with collaborators Emma Blakey, Kyron Mayhew and Naomi Moore from the University of Queensland’s School of Social Sciences, designed the piece to invite playfulness and connection through accessible public art.
Meanderin’ Meanjin
Sarah Sparks and Tom Hilton’s June 2025 design at 3 Valentine Street and Milton Road celebrates Brisbane from the river to the purple jacarandas and turquoise of South Bank lagoon. The artwork features six iconic bridges symbolising the merging of modern and historic Brisbane, with dashes representing walking tracks and dots representing the city’s tapestry of cultures. The title pays homage to the traditional name for Brisbane.
Purple Rain: The Essence of Spring in Brisbane
Emma Watt’s October 2024 artwork at the Coronation Drive pedestrian crossing and Booth Street captures jacaranda trees flowering against the heritage Regatta Hotel. The piece aims to evoke nostalgia and appreciation for Brisbane’s character, highlighting the short-lived beauty of spring before summer arrives and the intertwining of history and nature.
The Cats of Creativity
At Land Street and Patrick Street, Bronte McDonald’s December 2022 design draws from Ray Bradbury’s quote comparing cats to creative ideas. McDonald, working with assistants Ashleigh Barker and Bibi Bonfield, believes creating is as essential to human wellbeing as exercise and good nutrition, with CAT also serving as an acronym for Creative Art Therapy.
Books and Birds
Santo Cavallaro’s June 2022 artwork at Land Street and Sylvan Road celebrates the special connection between nature and discovery. The design reflects on how spending time in nature can provide endless opportunities for learning, growth and peace, whether hiking through mountains or simply walking in a park.
About Artforce Brisbane
These artworks are part of Artforce Brisbane, an annual community art programme run by Brisbane City Council since 1999. The initiative invites Brisbane residents of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to paint original artworks on traffic signal boxes throughout the city’s suburbs. More than 5,000 volunteers have painted over 1,200 boxes across Brisbane, celebrating local characters, cultures, histories and landmarks while reducing graffiti and vandalism. The programme is managed by Artfully, a Brisbane-based arts consultancy specialising in public art and placemaking. Each year, approximately 80 painting opportunities become available as the council upgrades intersections and replaces old cabinets.
Residents interested in participating can register at the Artforce Brisbane website or email info@artforcebrisbane.com.au for more information.
Published 26-December-2025
