In the confines of Western Australia's historic Fremantle Prison lives one of the country's most unique art galleries.
A plethora of graffiti, paintings and sketches colour the walls of cells that have sat vacant for more than three decades, offering a window into what life looked like behind bars.
But these artworks, presumably painted by inmates, were not made to last, and many are beginning to fade and flake.
A team of conservators have flown in from the eastern states to save one particular artwork, which wraps around the four walls of cell 51.
Little is known about the man behind the 1988 landscape, but the team hoped saving the artwork might provide some answers.
Fremantle Prison curator Olimpia Cullity said she had to carefully decide whether to go ahead with the project.
"We don't know if the person is still alive or not but in any case, we decided this needed to be saved," she said.
"I'd say there's at least 100 cells that are obviously covered in murals, or paintings or graffiti of value.
"It's quite unique to have a mural that wraps around the whole cell. I think it was really worthwhile keeping."
The back wall of the cell is deteriorating and the centrepiece of the mural would have been lost without intervention.
Preservation a 'highly challenging task'
The solution? To peel part of the mural off the brick wall.
Senior conservator Alis Jitarescu said it was a highly challenging task to undertake.
"These interventions are done in case of an emergency when the corresponding structure doesn't support the artwork anymore," she said.
"It's basically saving an artwork and placing it on a proper support that can house it for a while."
Collagen was used to adhere a combination of cheese cloth and Japanese tissue to the painting, allowing the team of conservators to peel the artwork off without damaging it.
"These are new materials that are more vulnerable, more unpredictable to work with, a lot of testing has been done prior to this result," Ms Jitarescu said.
"But it was a success so it's absolutely wonderful."
A delicate task
Bit by bit, the team then carefully remove the cloth to reveal the painting on its new backing support, to eventually be reinstated back in the cell once the wall is repaired.
The project is part of an ongoing mission to uncover and preserve murals around the prison.
Towards the end of its life in 1991, inmates were given free rein to paint the walls of cells and yards.
"There was a relaxation in the prison discipline at the time because they knew they were closing," Ms Cullity said.
Prior to that date, some prisoners were given special privileges to paint, either for good behaviour or mental health considerations.
Many artworks have since been hidden under plaster or layers of paint for decades.
"You can imagine how many different sides to the imprisonment story there are," Ms Cullity said.
"For me the murals are really talking about the prisoners as something quite intimate."
