Transforming spaces: Merinda Chong’s vibrant murals

18 Jun 2024

Artist Merinda Chong describes her art as “simple, bold and fun” but we can also see the positive impact it has on everybody she shares it with. Using vibrant and energetic Resene colours and her talented skills, she is brightening communities in both NZ and Australia.  

“Like so many artists, I started my career in graphic design but wanted to be a bit more expressive and freer in my work,” Merinda says. “I started my art business after being made redundant from my first graphic design job by setting up a block printed art stall at a local market in Perth, Western Australia. After a few years I took the leap into murals and have worked on a number of murals around Perth, Melbourne and a couple in New Zealand too.” 

You’ll see lots of colours, impactful messaging and botanical elements in Merinda’s murals, especially for her commercial clients. She is also working on moving her art style forward and testing out new designs to make it even more fun, and finds she can lose herself for hours in Instagram and Pinterest when looking for inspiration.  

Merinda Chong with her mural for GridAKL, painted in Resene Bingo, Resene Scandal, Resene Guardsman Red and Resene Bright Spark. 

Merinda’s mural contains inspirational and motivational messages for the shared workspace in Auckland using vibrant shades like Resene Bingo, Resene Scandal, Resene Guardsman Red and Resene Bright Spark. 

“I'm inspired by art and other artists,” Merinda says. “I love seeing other illustrators’ interpretations of the world and how they can turn it into different styles unique to them. 

“My design process starts with three concepts that I send to the client, sometimes it's as easy as choosing a concept and sometimes we like to mix and match elements of the designs. We then go ahead and schedule the time to paint.  

“For indoor murals I usually use a projector to transfer my design and for outdoor murals I am still giving a few methods a go, but so far creating a dot grid with bits of painter's tape has been the most successful. I then start painting the bottom layers first and work my way up to the top layers like the whites of lettering, sparkles or flower petals.” 

This mural was for a residential home, brightening the outside of a sleepout. Merinda painted delicate fruits and florals using Resene Forest Green, Resene Smooth Operator, Resene Grass Hopper, Resene Rose Of Sharon, Resene I Do and Resene Egg Sour. 

Merinda’s mural is inspiring young minds, sparking curiosity and conversation.  

Originally hailing from Australia, Merinda hadn't heard much about Resene until a few months prior to moving to New Zealand. When she realised that Resene was a New Zealand brand she jumped at the opportunity to try the product.  

“I'm head over heels with Resene's colour range and the knowledge in-store staff provide,” she says. “While I tend to lean towards brighter palettes, I always need to look for harmony, a balance of contrast and a variety of colours to keep it interesting. 

“Resene I Do and Resene Grass Hopper have been my favourites so far. They are so luxurious and the perfect colours to add into lots of palettes.” 

Now a mum, Merinda’s art is taking a back seat to fit in with toddler life, however she has some creative plans and we’re sure you’ll see her work pop up in the future. As she heads back to Australia soon Merinda will be sure to take her love of Resene with her.  

To see more of Merinda’s wonderful work and to get in touch to get your own creative mural painted, visit MERINDA DESIGNS - Creative Muralist in Melbourne or find her on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube by searching for Merinda Designs. 

Published: 18 Jun 2024