From Stone to Spray: A Late-Blooming Artist’s Rise
Callum Hotham wasn’t always a painter of city walls. The 29-year-old stonemason, who spent years shaping stone, discovered the transformative power of spray paint only four years ago. Since then, he has become one of Bathurst’s most recognizable faces, not for a night’s graffiti but for a deliberate reimagining of the city’s public spaces.
Hotham’s unlikely pivot began quietly enough, with the curiosity that often accompanies a craftsman’s hand. What started as a hobby quickly evolved into a full-blown artistic mission: to capture Bathurst’s racing heritage and present it in a way that invites residents and visitors to see the city through a new lens. Today, his murals are not only colorful landmarks but also a visual dialogue about Bathurst’s past, present, and future.
Why Bathurst, Why Murals?
Bathurst sits at the intersection of sport, history, and community. The city’s reputation as a motor racing hub creates a natural canvas for muralists who want to celebrate local culture in a contemporary way. Hotham’s approach blends technical precision—legacies of his stonemasonry training—with a freer, more expressive spray style that can convey motion, speed, and energy in static form. The result is a series of works that feel like part of Bathurst’s own memory, yet push the boundaries of how public art interacts with daily life.
A Village of Walls: The Murals and Their Meanings
Each mural in Hotham’s portfolio speaks to different facets of Bathurst. Some pieces honor legendary race days and the community organizers who keep the sport alive; others celebrate everyday life around the Mount Panorama Circuit. The artist intentionally places images where passersby can encounter them during ordinary routines—a coffee stop, a walk with the kids, or a ride through the city streets. By weaving racing symbolism with local iconography, Hotham’s work becomes a map of Bathurst’s identity, inviting people to discover new corners of the city while they explore familiar routes.
Technique that Bridges Past and Present
Hotham’s background as a stonemason informs his approach to mural-making. He treats walls as architectural surfaces with history, infusing paint onto prepared panels with careful consideration for texture, light, and weathering. Yet the spray can brings an immediacy and vibrancy that stone alone cannot convey. The color palettes chosen for Bathurst murals are lively but grounded, blending hero tones with subtler earth hues to reflect the town’s rugged landscape and racing heritage.
<h2 Community, Collaboration, and Public Space
The shift from private craft to public art has also meant greater collaboration. Hotham often works with local schools, youth groups, and fellow artists to plan and install murals that reflect collective memory rather than a single vision. Community engagement is at the heart of his work; murals become shared spaces where people can see reflections of themselves in the art and take pride in the city’s evolving face.
The Impact: A City Reimagined
As Bathurst continues to host premier motor racing events, the murals serve as a living backdrop—proof that public art can contribute to a city’s brand and its visitor experience. For residents, the walls offer a sense of continuity between Bathurst’s storied race days and its modern-day cultural scene. For visitors, the artwork adds another layer of meaning to the town’s fast-paced reputation, inviting slow, contemplative engagement with a place traditionally associated with speed.
What’s Next for Bathurst’s Spray-Paint Artist?
With a growing portfolio and community support, Hotham shows no signs of slowing down. Future projects may broaden his palette and scale, incorporating more spaces around Bathurst and perhaps beyond. The core remains consistent: art that respects the city’s racing roots while pushing toward a bolder, more inclusive vision of Bathurst’s future.
In Short
What began as a late-blooming hobby for a former stonemason has become a transformative movement within Bathurst. Callum Hotham’s murals do more than decorate walls; they reframe how residents see their city and how visitors experience its racing legacy—a testament to the power of art to rebrand a place from the ground up.
