A wall which once served as a harsh reminder of the Covid-19 pandemic is now home to 79 art pieces from top Knysna artists.
The #kringeinnibos art wall, painted during the Knysna Oyster Festival by 60 artists from Knysna and surrounds, has transformed the vicinity behind the Knysna municipality financial building and town hall.
Before it was decorated with the mural, residents used to line up, 2m apart, as they waited to receive their jabs at temporary clinics which have since been removed.
The piece, which will be launched and handed over to the municipality on August 16, is already drawing crowds.
A meeting was held yesterday to thank the participating artists for beautifying the wall.
Project head Helena Gerber thanked the artists for volunteering their time and talent, and said a nearby garden would be further decorated to complement the wall.
"This was such a negative spot, and now it's become a positive place in our community," she said.
Sponsor for the project, Pick-a-Paint's Pieter de Vries, said: "It's amazing and it's community involvement — which are our values as a company.
"A lot of the art is done with normal house paint and it's come out looking amazing.
"We are going to be involved in more projects in the future in George where our business is."
Zimbabwean artist Artwell Musungate said his piece was a gift to Knysna.
"This is my gift to Knysna and the SA people. I have lived here for the past 10 years and have been involved in past community projects.
"But this is my favourite piece because it's symbolic to Knysna. I have worked in this area and I got my success and my peak as an artist here."
Musungate, who is a selftaught, impressionistic artist, said he would soon return to Zimbabwe a happy man.
"There is life in the forest, birds, people, and that is why I drew that," he said.
Couple Charmaine Kruger and Piet Frans said they were excited to be part of the project.
Frans is a cartoonist and author of Lockdown. He drew the dwarf Knysna chameleon.
