Azzurro (or 'Azzy') Batic is a dynamic and sought-after international designer and street artist, whose canvas pulses with life, color, and boundless imagination. Hailing from Adelaide, South Australia, Azzy crafts artworks that weave futuristic technologies and nostalgia from cherished treasure hunt books into captivating dreamscapes. With acrylic brush, paint pen, and aerosols as his instruments, he masterfully crafts immersive, large-scale street-style pieces that grace both public spaces and private domains.
Azzurro's primary mission as an artist is to have an impact on imaginations that reverberates across both artistic and societal landscapes.
Azzy's artistic journey took shape after graduating with distinction in Design (Fashion) and Research Project ('Street Art') from Christian Brothers College in 2012. Though his academic path led him to study for an Honours degree in Psychology, the demand for his commissioned illustrations – including iconic establishments like Spats Cafe, Headspace, Central Market Arcade, and the Department of Infrastructure – propelled him into the vibrant world of art.
Azzy has since become a vocal advocate for change in the marine community of South Australia, asserting a need for marine science to connect meaningfully with the SA public, who the artist believes should be more engaged with the diversity of marine life and ecosystems that directly surround them. Azzy is a member of the Marine Life Society of South Australia and has a Community Surf Rescue Certificate.
His marine illustrations, games and paintings have been exhibited three times at the Marine Discovery Centre at solo exhibitions 'Strange Tides' and 'Deeper Darker Waters' as well as his own group marine exhibition 'Deep Thinkers'. Azzurro was approved for a Creative Industry Grant from the City of Port Adelaide Enfield to engage the public with his marine community art project 'Creative Cove' in 2024.
Throughout Adelaide, Azzy's artistry flourishes, adorning prominent locales like the Central Markets, Brighton Jetty Bakery, CREAM, Alimentary, Jetty Road Brighton, SUNA netball centre, Holiday Inn, Westfield Tea Tree Plaza, Adelaide Showgrounds station, Tea Tree Plaza Interchange, Real Falafel, and Miss Viet Kitchen in Port Adelaide. Sometimes his murals last far longer than the venues they were painted for, and sadly others have been demolished to make way for new developments (like Central Market Arcade).
Azzy's creative contributions extend to government projects for councils such as the City of Holdfast Bay, the Aldinga Library for the City of Onkaparinga, and train stations for the Department for Trade and Infrastructure. Azzy painted the bollards that you see surrounding the Beach House and reserve on Colley Terrace in Glenelg.
Diving deeper into the realm of art curation, Azzy began to orchestrate both solo and group exhibitions that boldly engage with socio-cultural themes. He curated four group exhibitions, each a convergence of diverse artists tackling pressing subjects: 'It's Getting Hot in Here' (2017, climate change) at Raj House, and a trilogy at Chateau Apollo encompassing 'One Minute to Midnight' (2020, nuclear apocalypse), 'The Illusion of Fame' (2020, the dark side of celebrity culture), and 'Dream Scented Rushes' (2021, the forgotten facets of Alice in Wonderland).
Azzy often exhibits his new pieces for sale at Alimentary Eatery on Jetty Road in Brighton, where he had his first Aussie solo exhibition Fools and Kings. His very first solo was Paradiso at Clink Noord Amsterdam, a hostel he filled with over 30 murals hidden in private rooms in 2018.
These days you'll find Azzurro standing by his own murals at 9 spots on Jetty Road in Brighton, running regular free tours inside the cafes and restaurants that house his many giant paintings.