Art, whether it is in the home or in the public domain, adds character to an area and vivifies it.

It grabs our attention and makes us look and think about things in a new way.

The City of Sydney Council has an outdoor art policy and it attaches conditions of consent to approved projects which turns blank hoardings into items of interest in the  most unexpected locations.

One of these is on the busy corner of Bayswater and Darlinghurst Roads, Kings Cross.

Called “Koala 4ever” Ms Elin Matilda Andersson’s installation is three metres high and just as wide. It shrouds forthcoming shop front alterations.

It is a call to protect to protect our Koalas’ diminishing habitat.

Ms Andersson says it is both a lover letter, an apology and a promise combined. It invites us to be better natural companions.

Under a dappled light It shows about a dozen Koalas in different poses in  two-dimensional, endearing, naive poses.

Ms Andersson is a Swedish-Australian illustrator, artist and designer  nestled between the bush and the ocean south of Sydney.

Originally hailing from the pine forests of Sweden, she moved to Australia in 2009 and completed a BA in Communication Design in Sydney in 2012.

With a passion for storytelling, her work is driven by the idea that creativity can be used as a tool for bettering society in small and large ways, even if it’s just putting a smile on someone’s face or igniting conversation.

Her major influences are her Scandinavian roots and the wonder of Australian nature; the power of community building.

By Andrew Woodhouse

Heritage Solutions