An initiative of Brisbane City Council

Artforce Brisbane
An initiative of Brisbane City Council

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Tom James

Repose

Elizabeth St (Pedestrian Crossing) & General Post Office, Brisbane QLD
This design reinterprets the visual language of classical art through a contemporary digital lens. Drawing inspiration from Renaissance colour palettes, Cubist geometry, and Romanticism themes of awe and reflection; the work celebrates how traditional artistic ideals can find new expression in modern visual culture. The composition and colours evoke the vibrant and multifaceted nature of modern city life, while still carrying a sense of human emotion and connection. The figure’s upward gaze suggests aspiration and renewal, aligning with the project’s aim to foster community pride and positive social messaging. The bold, interlocking shapes prevents large blank areas, reducing the likelihood of tagging, while the bright, saturated colours ensure high durability – future proofing the design against fading in the sun. The design wraps around the signal box, with the intention of making an everyday object into a small and quiet monument to creativity, cultural continuity, and the power of reinterpretation.
Box ID: B0024 (View Map Below)
Organisation: Billy Blue College of Design, Torrens University
Produced: November 2025
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CITY SLICKERS X BILLY BLUE

For the latest edition of our City Slickers program, students from Billy Blue College of Design, Torrens University, developed digital artworks for wrapping nine inner city traffic signal boxes that are located too close to the kerb to be safely painted.

Billy Blue is known for its industry-led teaching across graphic design, digital media, communication design, animation, UX, and web design. Students were invited to respond to the inner-city environment using bold visuals, imaginative colour, and creative freedom.

Featured here are: ‘Brisbane!’ by Tamara Easson (top right) which uses collage and layered magazine cut-outs to reflect the city’s many textures, flavours, and identities; and ‘Repose’ by Tom James (top left) which reimagines classical art through a contemporary digital lens in a bold design celebrating aspiration, creativity, and cultural continuity.

‘A Walk Through Time’ by Kasey Paech (bottom right) presents Brisbane as a shared playground, featuring historic photos of iconic landmarks overlaid with fun figures, expressing lively movement and participation. ‘All Eyes On Me’ by Giorgio di Lorenzo (bottom left) offers an equally playful exploration, using bold colour and line to spell out a simple but powerful message of community.

Thanks to Billy Blue for enlivening Brisbane’s streetscape. We wish these emerging designers all the best with their future creative career paths.

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Register your interest 
to paint a traffic signal box

TO BE ELIGIBLE

You must be a resident of Brisbane ie. living within the Brisbane City Council area.
You must not be an employee of Brisbane City Council.
You must not have painted more than two traffic signal boxes in a four year period and not in consecutive years.

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