When Kaff-eine was invited to paint a mural for the Top End’s first Sugarbag Festival, she was immediately inspired by the the regions iconic wild and strong buffaloes. She wanted to honour the power & character of the Top End’s LGBTQIA+ communities by painting her signature ‘deerhunter’ characters with a Territorian twist; broad, masculine buffalo skulls and limbs were the perfect choice.
The two buffalo-characters meet on the wall with strong buffalo energy. Are they wrapped in a firm embrace? Lovingly holding up each other? Locked in a wrestling grip, in combat?

Elegant and quiet but full of tension, the action is deliberately obscure, as are the gender and sex of the characters. Rather than focus on what the image ‘is’ or what it ‘means’, Kaff enjoyed painting an image that encourages emotional reactions from audiences. She loved chatting with viewers about their first responses to the mural, and their interpretations about how queer love and relationships were reflected in the piece. 

These special Top End buffalo-characters are best viewed on clear afternoons about an hour before sunset, when sunlight reflected from nearby buildings lights up the their metallic gold details.