Peninsula artist Morano’s striking Urban Capsules artwork took shape as part of a unique ‘live mural’ experience at Frankston Arts Centre’s Cube 37. As Morano painted his mural on the Glass Cube Gallery rear wall, patrons were able to watch him from Davey St.

“The body of work I have been doing lately is a juxtaposition of memories of urban landscapes and the people who live there,” Morano says. “My process is always very impulsive and a lot of it comes from the unconscious. For me, in my practice, showing the process is one of the most important things – being exposed, vulnerable and being myself.”

Urban Capsules embodies the artist’s creativity and invites viewers to immerse themselves in the chaos of his process. With all their senses assaulted, viewers can find meaning framed through their own experiences. Morano’s paintings gain energy and momentum as viewers find references and stories that reflect their own emotions.

Morano was born in Barcelona, and drawing and painting became a way to express emotions and connect to his inner being. As a kid, painting on the streets started to become an obsession. He was drawn to graffiti and was heavily influenced by the illustrations of vinyl covers and skate graphics. At 13, he started to make his first murals, beginning with a mix of lettering and characters but increasingly drawn to figurative scenes. Morano became an active and notorious graffiti artist during the ’90s, participating in numerous exhibitions and appearing regularly in the independent scene publications. 

The artwork is on exhibit until March 23, and a time-lapse video of its creation is on FAC’s YouTube channel. Morano is also separately displaying his artworks in the This Town, My Quarter exhibition at the Curved Wall Gallery until April 30. Details: www.hypemorano.com and www.thefac.com.au