Crafting characters and landscapes with a tinge of science fiction, Aleks’s huge street murals are known for their vibrant neon colours, high levels of detail, and overall trippy vibes. On display all over Victoria, Aleks has made a name for himself by livening up brick walls with his surreal, captivating style since his art school days.
His work will be on display for all to see at this year’s Frankston Street Art Festival from 17-23 March, showcasing a variety of artistic techniques and mediums such as spray paint and rollers on extended poles, as well as a wide array of brush types.
Frankston Street Art Festival
- 17 to 23 March
- Frankston CBD
- Free entry
Check out our gig guide, our festival guide, our live music venue guide and our nightclub guide. Follow us on Instagram here.
Dedicated to working in the public domain, as well as on canvas for smaller-scale commissions, Aleks commonly explores the intersections between humanity and technology. His characters are frequently clad in expressive and futuristic apparatus which lends his work a fun, quirky style not overly dissimilar to the inventive, biomechanical art of H.R. Giger.
When asked to name some of the artists who inspired his work, he sucks air through his teeth and exclaims, “Oh, man! There’s so many, I don’t know…” A long pause follows before he counters, “Alright. Max Beckmann…” he says, citing the austere German Expressionist painter.
When asked for others, he surrenders: “I dunno, I can’t give you anyone!”
Since moving to Melbourne 11 years ago, following his studies at the National Art School in Sydney, Aleks soon found his footing within the Naarm street art scene. Drawn primarily to mural artists, whose larger-scale works possessed a degree of safety and certainty not afforded to the more ephemeral nature of street art, Aleks discovered the Frankston Street Art Festival and began volunteering.
Aleks Grilz at Frankston Street Art Festival
- Cube 37 Glass Cube
- Artworks: All Day, Every Day & Art After Dark – Dawn to Midnight from the street front
- Painting LIVE inside the Glass Cube from March 17th – 23rd every day
His work at the festival last year proved a positive experience, especially when given the opportunity to engage directly with so many of his fellow street artists. “It’s a really cool event,” he says. “I just really love those events – getting all these artists together, all working on something throughout the week… It’s special.”
As such, Frankston is an area for which Aleks holds keen affection, thanks largely to the artistic community with whom he has engaged there. This year’s street art festival represents another opportunity to discover new work while also connecting with new artists.
Melbourne’s street art scene in particular is revered the world over, earning regular debate as to whether it should qualify for protection under heritage listing. There is a rich history here of accessible art that can be enjoyed by patrons of any income bracket – the city even has an original mural by Keith Haring, arguably the world’s most famous street artist and a keen proponent of public art.
When asked how his own work fits into this legacy, Aleks lights up.
“Oh, one hundred percent!” he says. “It’s the art for the people, anyone can really enter it and enjoy it. It’s there on display for everybody around it – but in the same way, it’s not protected, either. Something you did can get destroyed the next day and, you know, I think your stuff has to be at a certain level of standard.”
The understanding that his art can simultaneously be admired or simply sprayed over by other graffiti artists is a duality that he can closely understand, coming from a dual background in both fine art studies and open-air mural painting.
It was thanks to that fine arts education that Aleks came to the realisation painting was all he ever wanted to do. He began making murals for clients while balancing other part-time work, though it was the pandemic that really focused his work slate with only street art commissions.
“Since then,” he says, “I haven’t done any other work that isn’t painting. I’m pretty dedicated to it now, it’s all I think about…” He pauses for a moment, and laughs. “Too much! Perhaps.”
Aleks continues to dedicate huge amounts of his time, energy, and ability to his chosen artform, and we all get the benefit of seeing it out in the open and free-of-charge.
Take a look here for a breakdown of the all events and guest artists on show at this year’s Frankston Street Art Festival
This article was made in partnership with Frankston City Council.
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