Craig & Karl stage a colourful takeover of Brisbane's landmarks

Craig Redman and Karl Maier, better known as Craig & Karl, have become known for their one-of-a-kind, pop-influenced illustrations, which over the years have expanded from two to three dimensions thanks to larger-than-life installations and takeovers of public spaces. Working collaboratively across London and New York, the duo are originally from Australia, and met as students at Brisbane's Griffith University.

This year, they were invited back to their home turf to stage a takeover of the city's landmarks for the Brisbane Festival, creating 75 artworks for 20 locations. The whole city seems invaded by colourful characters, playful 'mateys' peeking from car parks, roofs and alleyways, bringing Craig & Karl’s work to life for everyone to discover.

The biggest element of the citywide folly is also the pair's most ambitious project of their nearly 30-year career: a series of large inflatables hugging Brisbane's walking bridges.

To coincide with the public art trail is an exhibition at the Griffith University Art Museum titled ‘Craig & Karl: Rear Vision’, showcasing some of the pair's most memorable works.

We speak to the duo about their work and their experience of Brisbane.

Craig & Karl in Brisbane

Wallpaper*: You spent your formative years in Brisbane: what is the best memory of the city for you?

Craig & Karl: We met when we were 17 in our first semester at the Queensland College of Art. Moving to the city was exciting and expansive; there was a fertile mix of subcultures across music and the arts that inspired us a lot. It was a great place to begin our careers and creative partnership, and it continues to influence our work today.

W*: What should someone who has never been to Brisbane (like me!) know about the city?

C&K: It’s constantly evolving, and has changed so much since we lived there. It’s a very open and relaxed city, subtropical and very much about being outdoors. The food is incredible, with a huge Southeast Asian influence. And you should definitely check out the Gallery of Modern Art, which has a permanent James Turrell installation across its façade; it’s stunning.

W*: Your intervention is taking over the city in 20 locations: what has been the most memorable moment of working on this commission?

C&K: A standout has been realising an installation of inflatable arches across the Kangaroo Point Bridge, connecting the city to the Kangaroo Point headland, as part of this year’s Brisbane Festival. The river is such a defining feature of the city, and it’s a unique setting for a public intervention. The festival team have been amazing, and the artistic director, Louise Bezzina, was instrumental in facilitating something of this ambition.

W*: How much of the work is a spontaneous response, and how much is careful planning?

C&K: It’s a mix of both. When developing ideas, we try to be spontaneous and explore as many possibilities as we can. As we get into the details, more planning comes in. We’re often working on the fly and responding to external forces, so even when we think we know exactly what we’re doing, it can still feel improvised.

W*: At the same time, a retrospective of your work will give visitors a glimpse into your collaboration. What would you say have been the key moments, and why?

C&K: Looking back over our work has been an interesting process. We’ve been fortunate to expand the scope of what we do – from our beginnings in graphic design, through illustration, and now into public art and immersive installations. Each leap into the unknown challenges us and reveals what else we might be capable of. Prismatic, an installation in Hong Kong that completely reimagined an urban square, brought together the different strands of our practice at a new scale. The immersion of that project was a real joy for us to experience.

Brisbane Festival runs until 27 September 2025