Jimmy Dvate (pronounced D-V-8) is a renowned Australian contemporary artist specialising in large-scale murals. Jimmy began painting on the streets of Melbourne in 1997. Today his name is synonymous with graffiti and street art scenes, and his paintings can be found worldwide. With key works in Adelaide and Melbourne Zoos, Phillip Island Nature Park, Darwin, Alice Springs, Wollongong, Benalla, Shepparton and more recently, the silos at Rochester, Goorambat, Waikerie and Picola. His reputation has led to overseas projects in Denmark, London, Belgium and Spain and the Amsterdam Street Art Museum. In America he has exhibited and painted in LA, SF, St Louis, Miami, NYC and Denver while his travels extended as far afield as Tahiti as runner-up in a global street art competition.
Trained in graphic design and visual arts at Monash University, Jimmy’s work has a strong sense of design combined with the accuracy and eye for detail of photorealism. Underpinning his most recent works is his passion for nature and the environment. Inspired by camping trips in the bush as a boy, Jimmy’s focus has increasingly turned to the natural world, especially endangered species and climate change victims. Working with numerous conservation groups has been an enormous honour and has given him access to unique places and species. Working with numerous conservation groups has been a huge honour and has given him access to really special places and species. He painstakingly researches the location of his works, ensuring that the flora and fauna he paints are authentic and indigenous to the area. From rock wallabies to black cockatoos, Blue-tongued Lizards to Tasmanian Devils, Jimmy’s work brilliantly conveys not only his careful research, but also his genuine passion for these creatures and his commitment to conservation. He truly captures the personalities of the subjects he paints with his accuracy and amazing use of colour.