Unfolding Cabramatta's story

Artist Kevin Vo will create Unfold (inset illustration), a public artwork which celebrates Cabramatta's past and present.

Redevelopment artwork

As Cabramatta looks to the future with the redevelopment of Dutton Lane, its past will be celebrated in the form of a public artwork taking centre stage in the new publicspace.

The artwork Unfold, by Cabramatta-based artist Kevin Vo, will take the form of a 'history wall' depicting events, people and scenes of Cabramatta from the past to the present day.

Using printed tiles, the wall will be resemble a mosaic patchwork quilt, with various photo and text tiles covering the wall's surfaces.

Vo is working with Council's Local Studies Librarian to source images from the historic images collection, which represent the multicultural identity of Cabramatta through time.

While people are familiar with the South-East Asian profile Cabramatta holds today, there have been many diverse cultural groups that have shaped the area's identity.

Beginning with the region's Aboriginal inhabitants, the Cabrogal of the Darug Nation, and then the British settlers in the 1790s, Cabramatta holds the mark of many cultures, including British and European migration post World Wars I and II, waves of migration from the 70s onwards from South-East Asia, South America and the Middle East and migration of African cultures throughout the 90s.

Unfold will also feature present day photographs, sourced through the use of the #Cabranow hashtag on Instagram, which people are encouraged to use.

Allowing residents and visitors the opportunity to participate in the creation of Unfold will provide a sense of ownership of the artwork, generating a shared appreciation of the unique character of Cabramatta as a place.

Construction of the Dutton Lane, Cabramatta project is expected to start in early 2015 and will be completed by mid-2016.