Rylars Art Coffee Lounge

One of the most fascinating murals (or even paintings for that matter) I have ever seen can be found in my home town of Gawler, South Australila. Even more fascinating than the worlds biggest painting on canvas at Broken Hill in fact.

Rylars Art Coffee Lounge is home to one of the most detailed murals you're ever likely to find. The thumbnails above from the Coffee Lounges web site just doesn't do it justice. Not least because you can barely make out the detail but also because this mural circles the walls of the entire dining area. These images wouldn't even be 1% of the total mural.

Mostly black and white, the mural is still a work in progress even after three years. The best way to describe it is simply by quoting from Rylar's web site:

The artistic wizardry invoked within these walls is the culmination of a three year sojourn of indulgence and passion. This amazing work of art exemplifies an eclectic fusion of surrealism with medieval art, exercising an ability for intrinsic fine detail. Indulging and challenging, tempting your eyes to look further and deeper, taking you on a visual journey of fantasy and mystery with a curious blend of illusion and mysticism that will beckon you, as you attempt to unravel its diverse and arcane meanings.

Located at 41b Adelaide Road, Gawler (just next door to Dodd's Deli), Rylar is open Friday through to Monday, 5 - 9pm. My partner and I stopped there for dinner after seeing the movie I am Legend and were blown away by the detail, themes and overall impressive nature of the art.

We were there for around and hour and it was no where near enough time to take in everything. Definitely somewhere you'll want to visit more than once just to see what else you can find within the art.

You'll have no trouble going back either as the food is delicious and competitively priced with other restaurants, hotels and cafes in the region.

I wish I could show you better pictures of the mural just to give you more incentive to visit. It is really worth your while, even if you're not usually into art. This is truly one of Gawler's hidden tourist attractions.

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