Bankstown graffiti artist and pastor Matthew ‘Mistery’ Peet to impart wisdom on fresh talent

“Talent isn’t everything”. This is the message Bankstown graffiti wizard Matthew “Mistery” Peet drills into spray-can wielding youngsters.

Bankstown graffiti artist Matthew ‘Mistery’ Peet teaches young talent many things, but the “boring stuff” is among the most important. Picture: Craig Wilson

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SOMETIMES making your mark as a street artist can come down to the little details.

This is the message Bankstown graffiti wizard Matthew “Mistery” Peet drills into spray-can wielding youngsters.

“Talent isn’t everything,” he said.

“It’s about helping people to understand what it requires as a career … knowing how to quote a job, how to write an invoice and getting things done on time.”

Peet’s skilful designs have found their way on to walls the world over.

It isn’t just artist techniques Mistery teaches his disciples. Picture: Rob Pozo

One of his latest international pieces was a hush-hush mural for the prince of Dubai, completed with the help of other artists from South Africa and Italy.

He has also created murals at Embassy Church in Belmore, where he is a pastor.

But his own start in the scene is something he won’t encourage in new talent at workshops leading up to Bankstown’s famous 4 Elements Hip Hop Festival.

“They sort of want to do it but they don’t even know where to start,” he said.

“I was in that boat, I just winged it.”

Mistery is a pastor at the Embassy Church in Belmore (pictured). Picture: Craig Wilson

Peet, who also takes commissions from around Sydney, said Canterbury Bankstown had a fountain of talented young artists but still lacked the spaces for them to express themselves.

“People have to go elsewhere. I have to go to places like Liverpool,” he said.

Throughout the six-week workshop, Peet will teach graffiti writing and street art techniques, fonts, lettering, different materials, as well as the “boring stuff”.

The first workshop will be at the Bankstown Arts Centre on February 6.

The participants will show off their work at the 4 Elements Hip Hop Festival in March.