The University of Queensland - Water Engineering Department In a bold fusion of art and science, OzMosaics was commissioned to transform a stark concrete corridor into a vibrant visual symphony. The mission: to create five monumental mosaic mural panels that would capture the essence of water engineering—not through technical diagrams or raw data, but through whimsy, colour, and cubist storytelling.
Each panel became a portal into the world of hydrology, infrastructure, and environmental care—rendered in shimmering tesserae and sculptural form. The mural was never merely decorative; it was designed as a beacon, inviting students, staff, and visitors to engage with water engineering through curiosity, delight, and layered metaphor.
This was far more than a beautification project. It was a celebration of water’s journey—from cloud to turbine, bore to basin, pipe to paddock—and a tribute to the engineers who shape that flow with vision and precision.
Dave Robertson and Professor Peter Nielson stand in the UQ Water Engineering corridor, gazing through lab windows that overlook the concrete mural walls
—where water engineering meets mosaic storytelling.
Creative Challenge!
Sandy’s Brief: Rough Sketch Concept from Prof Peter Nielsen.
This mural began as a leap into the unknown. With no formal background in water engineering, mosaic artist Sandra Robertson faced a steep learning curve. Yet while the subject matter was new, the scale was familiar—Sandra brought to the project a wealth of experience in large mosaic commissions, including works at Australia Zoo, Christmas Island, Loreto College, Ipswich Queens Park, and numerous Queensland schools, alongside major sculptural mosaics. Under the generous guidance of Professor Peter Nielsen from UQ Water Engineering, the project found its rhythm. His deep passion for all things water, paired with clear, patient explanations and a not unexpected flair for visual metaphor, helped bridge the gap between science and art. Combining Sandra’s artistic mosaic expertise with Peter’s engineering insight proved to be a perfect match. Through this collaboration, technical concepts were transformed into poetic forms—and the mural emerged: layered, luminous, and grounded in both knowledge and imagination.
Professor Peter Nielsen: Professor, School of Civil Engineering, University of Queensland.
Leading expert in coastal and estuarine processes, sediment transport, and water engineering, and has authored foundational texts in the field
Panel 1: Harnessing the Flow This panel traces water’s journey from rainfall to renewable energy, highlighting the relationship between natural forces and engineered systems. A sweeping white pipe channels water into a hydroelectric pumping station, referencing Queensland’s Wivenhoe facility, where water is stored uphill and released through turbines to generate electricity.
Scenes of rural life surround the infrastructure: a tractor, windmill, irrigation jets, bores, and livestock. The cows and sheep, rendered in playful cubist style, add a touch of humour and abstraction—bringing warmth to the technical narrative. Beneath the surface, aquifers and groundwater flows are depicted, showing how subsurface reserves support agriculture during drought.
Through mosaic texture and geometric forms, the panel transforms hydrology and civil engineering into a layered visual story of sustainability and foresight.
Can you see the water skier? Visit UQ to see the mosaics up close and discover many interesting mosaic features.
Panel 2: Living WaterSurrounding the lake, a tall white water tower supplies a cluster of homes and buildings, while rain tanks, wells, and septic systems reflect the domestic engineering that sustains daily life. A cart of vegetables and a grove of banana trees link water to food, backyard ecology, and seasonal rhythms—reminding us that water is not just delivered, but cultivated.
In the lower section, a cross-cut of the earth reveals the hidden world beneath our feet. Underground water is traced by arrows and pipes, showing how the supply is drawn, directed, and managed. A well taps into this quiet reservoir, while a septic system handles waste with discretion—emphasising that stewardship includes what flows unseen.
The mural blends cubist forms, mosaic textures, and water engineering into a unified visual language. Abstract horses, geometric trees, and stylised infrastructure show how art can interpret complexity—breaking it into shapes, colours, and rhythms that invite reflection. Through this fusion, the panel becomes more than an illustration—it’s a layered story of how water moves through systems, landscapes, and lives, with both precision and poetry.
Panel 3: Powering the Flow
Water, Energy, and Urban Systems
This panel explores the intersection of water and energy in urban life, highlighting how infrastructure supports homes, streets, and communities. A stylised hydroelectric station and power lines connect to the electrical grid, referencing the role of renewable energy in powering water systems and domestic environments.
At the centre, a cross-section of a home reveals internal plumbing across the bathroom, kitchen, and laundry. Water cascades from the roof into street-level drains, visually tracing the journey from rainfall to underground pipe networks. These pipes, shown in layered cross-section beneath the street, carry stormwater and waste through the city’s hidden infrastructure.
Municipal water treatment tanks and filtration systems are depicted nearby, showing how water is purified before distribution. A large, graphic tap serves as a central symbol—representing the final stage of this journey, where clean, treated water is pumped into homes. It’s a bold and effective metaphor, cleverly rendered in mosaic to convey both function and trust.
A stylised street scene adds realism and humour, with a cubist dog pooping near a drain, gently reminding viewers of the everyday challenges urban systems must manage. Through geometric abstraction and playful detail, the panel interprets a technically dense subject—urban water engineering—with clarity, wit, and surprising warmth.
Panel 4:This panel explores the environmental consequences of water overuse and resource extraction. The upper section depicts open-cut mining, with scarred terrain, heavy machinery, and visible stockpiles—highlighting the scale of extraction and its impact on land and water systems. Pools of discoloured runoff suggest water contamination, pointing to the risks posed to underground flows and surrounding ecosystems.
To the left, a parched riverbed winds through the scene, flanked by stylised gum trees with bent, leafless branches. Along the riverbanks, large pumps draw water directly from the river, with pipes extending across the landscape into agricultural fields—referencing the widespread over-pumping of river systems, particularly in Australian cotton farming. Above, oversized water drops on a rooftop visually trace the path of rainfall as it runs off into street-level drains, reinforcing the connection between surface flow and engineered catchment systems.
A golf course appears in the centre, lush and manicured, yet surrounded by signs of imbalance. Urban sprawl and hardened surfaces dominate the right side, with robotic pipe networks channeling runoff into storm drains. A pond sits in the foreground, reflecting both the impact and potential for renewal within engineered landscapes.
Through mosaic texture and cubist abstraction, the panel interprets a technically dense subject with clarity and care. It transforms hydrology, geology, and environmental stewardship into a visual call for balance—urging viewers to rethink extraction, honour resilience, and protect the flow.
Can you spot the golf course, golf tee, sprinklers, flowers, football goal posts, lizards on trees, white cockatoo, open cut mining etc.
Panel 5: Balancing the Flow
Risk, Recreation and Responsibility
This panel explores the complex relationship between water, industry, ecology, and leisure. Fracking infrastructure and geological cross-sections highlight risks to groundwater, while a woman drinking from a glass symbolises trust in water purity. A large sewage treatment plant processes waste, with filtered water released via cliffside diffusers into the ocean.
Wetlands host birds, butterflies, and a large lizard—symbols of ecological resilience. Surfing waves carry dolphins and a fisherman in a boat, while oil spills and storm clouds hint at environmental vulnerability. On the right, Gold Coast high-rises overlook a vibrant beach scene, complete with lifeguards, umbrellas, and an in-ground hotel pool. Cafes and shops line the base of the buildings, anchoring water to lifestyle and economy. A whimsical cubist frog clings to the tower, blending humour with environmental watchfulness.
The panel blends purification systems, tourism, and environmental oversight into a visual narrative of contrast and care—urging viewers to balance enjoyment with responsibility.
Can you spot the birds, frogs, fracking in a water glass, Gold Coast apartments, a dolphin, beach scenes, sewerage systems, lizards, birds, wetlands, butterflies, beach flags, a fisherman, a lady drinking from a water glass, water filtration etc.
Mosaics installed—cue the curtain! 
The artist’s studio practice is rooted in thoughtful stewardship and inventive reuse. Every mosaic begins with a blend of new and recycled materials—wine bottles and glassware are melted in the kiln to form luminous tesserae, while leftover thinset and grout are transformed in silicone moulds into sculptural shapes and layered substrates. Nothing is wasted: grout and adhesives are never poured down drains, but carefully filtered, dried, and reincorporated into future mixes. Tools, bowls, and rags are cleaned with environmental care, and even the bottoms of mixing tubs become sources of creative renewal.
This ethos extends to her teaching—students in her workshops learn not only mosaic technique, but also the importance of sustainable studio habits. Through this practice, mosaic becomes more than art—it becomes a model for mindful making.
A few memories from the Opening of the mural. It was a pleasure to be involved in this mosaic mural artwork. Thanks again to UQ!
Studio OzMosaics www.ozmosaics.com.au
Mosaic Commissions, Murals, Workshops, Public Art, Community art, School Mosaic Murals, Bespoke Mosaics.
Online Mosaic Shop: The Mosaic Mall www.themosaicmall.com.au
Sandra Robertson Mosaicist
Studio OzMosaics, Coorparoo, Q 4151
0478 923 980
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