In The Studio: Go behind the work with Joel Hammond, the artist responsible for immortalising Ballarat’s music history in mural

Punk aesthetics make up the basis of artworks for Ballarat creator, Joel Hammond.

Joel Hammond is a name synonymous with the Ballarat art scene. In the UNESCO City for Craft and Folk Art, exhibitions span galleries, shops and the street. From White Night to the current Ballarat International Foto Bienalle, activation of spaces for art is next level. Adding to this vibrancy is Joel Hammond, the man responsible for immortalising Ballarat’s vibrant music scene on brickwork.

In our new series, In The Studio, we take you into space of Victorian creators, unpacking their craft and getting comfortable in their creative zones. Join us as we enter the studio with Joel Hammond.

Keep up to date with all things arts, exhibitions and stage here.

In The Studio with Joel Hammond

 

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A post shared by Joel Hammonds (@joel_blc_)

What is your arts practice?

Illustration, painting, screen printing and bad guitar playing

Give us an overview of the works you create.

My personal work is generally very bold, black and white, and occasionally with bright, feature colours. I feel like I have this idea stuck in my mind that everything I do has the potential to end up on screen, and that shapes the style towards something that I know I can shoot and print if I need too. On the other side of that coin, my digital illustration tends towards more finer detail, still intended for screen printing, but pushing what I’m capable of shooting to screen. So it’s a restriction in some ways and forcing technical progress in others. When I paint I like to use found objects, wood offcuts and canvas. As I get older I am more mindful of waste across my art practices. The band I play guitar in, The Pass, make ugly heavy punk. If I could only paint one thing for the rest of my life it would probably be birds. And skulls.

How long have you been developing your arts practice?

I was always encouraged to be creative from an early age, but it’s only really been the last 6 years I have been focussing on making a living from my own creative work

How did you discover your passion for art?

It’s just something I have always done for as long as I can remember, so it just feels like it’s what I am meant to do. I always struggled calling myself an artist but in the last few years I am definitely getting more comfortable with it.

What have been the biggest milestones in your arts career to date?

Last year I was given the opportunity to create a mural next to the Art Gallery of Ballarat that celebrated local music (pictured). It’s the second piece of public art I have had on display in Ballarat, and it feels great to be able to share my experiences of living here with the public. While I was installing I had some really good conversations with people passing by about their experiences and memories as well.

 

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A post shared by Joel Hammonds (@joel_blc_)

What is your favourite artwork or series that you have created and why? Please describe the work!

In 2023, I had a collaborative exhibition with my son Wolfy who was 8 at the time called “RIP too cool for this world”. I am really interested in the idea of not just sharing of skills but also the understanding of the value of art both personally but also financially, that it can be a viable avenue for your future. We worked on creating textured backgrounds in spray paint, then layered with line drawings of anything that came to mind when we thought of what made us happy. There was a series of four larger canvas squares I painted a black smiley face over and a series of ten wooden panels we screen-printed a skull over top. The final series of pieces were black and white on wood offcuts. We also did a run of screen printed A5 artworks from our drawings on Dodgy Paper.

What has been the biggest challenge you face as an artist and how are you pushing through that barrier (if you can!)?

Since I went all in, the hardest part has been balancing the paid illustration and design work with personal exploration work. It’s great being able to live off of being creative but it’s also great being able to create without necessarily having a dollar sign attached to the work is also important to me. So it’s making sure I recognise when is the right time for each of those things.

Where has your work been, or is your work currently, displayed?

The Ballarat Annexxe Mural is still in place beside the Art Gallery of Ballarat until November this year, and Wolfy and I have another exhibition booked into Art Space (a council/ Creative Cities ballarat space for emerging artists) in December 2026. A while away but it gives us plenty of time to develop the concept, source materials and try making our own paper.

 

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Tell us about your studio space!

Digitally I have traded my nice “clean” office setup for a laptop and Ipad (The office is now full of music gear). Now my studio is the warmest spot in the house or the Vline on the days I do city runs for my wife’s jewellery business, Cut Off Your Hands. At the moment my painting studio is our dining area under the heater, but during summer I like to be outside. It’s been a cold winter in the workshop so I am looking forward to cleaning out the print shop and getting stuck into a bunch of new designs I have had on screen waiting. I, somehow, work through a kind of organised chaos, but it means I can jump from one thing to another easily.

What does a typical day of creating art look like for you?

For the last few years the focus for me has been making sure I have time to walk our son to school, walk the dog and get out and see what other people are doing. Since moving to Ballarat the urgency to create has eased off and it actually happens a lot more easily now. My wife is amazing with her creative practice, running a tight 9-5 daily schedule. I tend to work intensively when required and spend the rest of the time worrying less about not working.

My wife Alana Smith is a huge inspiration to me through her own creative practice, work ethic with Cut off Your Hands Jewellery and all round being the greatest human being.

 

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How would you characterise the arts ecosystem in regional Victoria?

One of the reasons we moved to Ballarat was the art gallery. I love an art gallery. When it’s open I try to visit weekly. There is also a huge creative community here. We have made so many connections. Creative Cities Ballarat run regular catchups in different spaces that showcase upcoming work and upcoming EOI’s. The friends we have made in all creative fields have been a constant source of inspiration. There are artists, illustrators, musicians, craft makers and slow fashion makers. And the network is always expanding.

What does the rest of 2025 look like for you as a creator?

Now it’s warmer I will be back screen printing tees more regularly. I’m doing the Boofest Market on the 26th October with Cut Off Your Hands Jewellery, but aside from a couple of commissions and some fun gigs with The Pass I am looking forward to putting in time for the prep for the exhibition in Dec 2026. It’s good having a big project to work towards!

Follow Joel Hammonds art journey here.