Internationally renowned mural artist Smug recently completed a striking new large-scale artwork on Kapunda’s historic grain silos. The incredible work, which pays tribute to the region’s historic mining settlements, is part of the broader Silo Art Trail, an impressive collection of painted silos and water towers across Australia.
Grain silos are a familiar sight across rural Australia, especially in major wheat-growing regions like New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia. The tall concrete or corrugated steel structures built in the 20th century were designed to store huge quantities of wheat, barley, oats, and other grains after harvest. However, in recent years, many of them have been transformed into some of the largest outdoor art canvases in the world.
Backed by Juddy Roller, the street art collective behind Australia’s first Silo Art Trail, Smug’s Kapunda mural is one of nine silos across Australia, including landmark works in Lameroo, Wirrabara, and Rupanyup. It depicts a miner deep underground, lit by a single candle on his helmet, capturing the harsh reality of copper mining in the 1840s.
Smug’s monumental mural took 35 days and more than 300 liters (about 80 gallons) of paint to complete. The piece is spray-painted in the artist’s signature stylized realism, combining lifelike detail with warm, cinematic narrative. It reflects the resilience of the Kapunda community.
“These silos aren’t just forgotten symbols of the past,” says Smug. “They’re beacons of hope, visible for miles. I want each one to feel alive, and to reflect the character and strength of the community that surrounds it.”
While Smug painted the mural, it wouldn’t exist without the people of Kapunda. What started as an idea became a grassroots effort, with the community rallying behind the project to raise funds.
“This project has always been about more than paint on concrete,” says Danny Menzel, chair of the Kapunda Silo Art Committee. “It’s about what can happen when a small town comes together with a shared vision. For us, the silos are a message to every visitor that Kapunda is alive with creativity, history, and heart.”
Internationally renowned mural artist Smug recently completed a new large-scale artwork on Kapunda’s historic grain silos.
The incredible work, which pays tribute to the region’s historic mining settlements, is part of the broader Silo Art Trail.
It depicts a miner deep underground, lit by a single candle on his helmet, capturing the harsh reality of copper mining in the 1840s.
