Call for Expressions of Interest: UNSW Library Alumni Mural Program 2026

UNSW Library is pleased to announce a new Expression of Interest (EOI) for the next commission in the Alumni Mural Program, inviting UNSW graduates to create a major site-specific artwork for the Main Library. The program celebrates the creativity, diversity and excellence of UNSW alumni while enriching the Library as a vibrant place of learning, connection and discovery.

The selected artist will develop a temporary mural for a prominent public-facing location within the Main Library, creating a welcoming and engaging experience for students, staff and visitors. Artists are encouraged to propose concepts that respond to the Library as a gateway to knowledge and curiosity, a place of belonging and collaboration, and a space where tradition and history meet new ideas and innovation. Proposals may also engage with the Library’s collections, the University’s research strengths, or the artist’s own experience as a UNSW student.

The Alumni Mural Program forms part of UNSW Library’s broader commitment to embedding art and culture throughout its spaces. Through a series of temporary public artworks, the program highlights diverse perspectives while fostering meaningful connections between the Library, the University community and the wider public.

The opportunity is open to graduates of all UNSW degree programs, and applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists are strongly encouraged. Expressions of Interest open on 13 July and will close on 14 August 2026.

Since its launch, the Alumni Mural Program has transformed Library spaces through ambitious and thought-provoking commissions by UNSW graduates.

Currently on view on Level 6 of the Main Library is Cover Crush by collaborative duo Make or Break (Connie Anthes and Bec Gallo). Drawing on books discovered side-by-side on UNSW Library shelves, the mural playfully reveals unexpected connections, humour and poetry within systems of knowledge organisation. By reimagining book titles as colourful visual encounters, the work invites visitors to reflect on browsing, discovery and the ways information is categorised and valued.

On Level 7, Abdullah M. I. Syed’s Chahār Bāgh: Garden of Knowledge transforms the lift foyer into a space inspired by the Persian architectural layout of the 'Four Gardens'. Combining South Asian miniature painting traditions, woodblock printing and contemporary art practices, the mural celebrates storytelling, cross-cultural exchange, inclusion and the pursuit of knowledge.

Earlier commissions by Louise Zhang and Lisa Sammut established the program with imaginative and immersive artworks. Zhang’s Waves of chrysanthemums created a richly coloured environment that drew on both Chinese and Western symbolism, while Sammut’s Waiting room explored wonder, possibility and the cosmos through imagery inspired by stars, planets and constellations.

These murals demonstrate the breadth of artistic approaches fostered by the Alumni Mural Program and the important role contemporary art can play in shaping a welcoming, inspiring learning environment.

UNSW Library invites alumni from all disciplines and backgrounds to apply and contribute to the next chapter of this evolving public art initiative.

Image: Abdullah M.I. Syed installing the mural, Chahār Bāgh: Garden of Knowledge (2023), Level 7 lift foyer.