Southland artist Deow Owen yesterday completed a new work, one of the biggest so far, on a wall by a business in Orari St, South Dunedin.
The work was commissioned by Wood Solutions, a joinery business.
Wood Solutions general manager Andrew Bellamy said his company moved to Orari St at Christmas, and he was keen to do something with the wall next door.
As well as its aesthetic qualities, the work was "a big promotional thing for us".
It would make the site of his joinery business stand out and mean people would know where it was.
Mr Bellamy said he liked the idea of having street art at his business.
He contacted the Dunedin Street Art Trust and a process was begun to find an artist and a design.
Mr Owen ended up being the artist chosen.
Mr Bellamy said he was "absolutely rapt" with the artwork, which was completed yesterday morning.
Dunedin Street Art Trust member Justin Cashell said the move to the commercial area showed owners saw the benefits of art on their property.
"It gets people down to those locations."
Mr Owen has already completed two works in Northeast Valley and another in the central business district.
He said his family was originally from the Otago Peninsula and it was good to be doing work here and "putting a bit of splash on the street".
He had been painting tui for about four years.
"I see them from my studio and hear them from my studio, so it’s kind of inspirational to paint them, and I think they’re a very iconic New Zealand bird."
While he was originally from Southland, Mr Owen said he was working both there and in California.
In the last year he had been moving towards "fine art", working on canvas and refining his work to a smaller scale.
