Cabrogal Dharug multidisciplinary artist Tom Duffy's work has been installed in bus shelters across Shellharbour as part of a public art program bringing creative works into everyday spaces.

Mr Duffy's works are featured in Shellharbour City Council's latest Art in Unexpected Places program, which places art outside gallery settings across the city.

The contemporary First Nations artist works across oil painting, printmaking, design and public art, with a practice shaped by archival appropriation, storytelling, spirituality and fiction.

Mr Duffy, who was born in 2000 and lives and works on the land of the Wodi Wodi people in Dharawal Country, has developed a practice focused on First Nations retellings of history beyond the colonial archive.

He said public art allowed people to meet the work during daily life.

"I'm proud to share these works in public spaces where people encounter it in their everyday lives," Mr Duffy said.

"Art has the power to remind us of the resilience and nuances of culture."

The artworks have been installed at bus shelters at 211 Princes Highway, Rotary Park, Albion Park Rail; Shellharbour Primary School on Mary Street, Shellharbour; Lake Entrance Road at the Wattle Road intersection; and 128 Shellharbour Road, Warilla.

Shellharbour Mayor Chris Homer said the program gave the community new ways to experience art.

"Tom Duffy's work is thoughtful, contemporary and deeply grounded in First Nations experience, and we're proud to share his work with our community," Mr Homer said.

In 2025, Mr Duffy received national recognition when he was awarded the Dr Harold Schenberg Art Prize at HATCHED: National Graduate Show at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, selected by guest judge Archie Moore.

His work has been exhibited at Hazelhurst Arts Centre, the Newington Armory, Goulburn Regional Gallery, Wollongong Art Gallery, the University of Wollongong and other local and regional galleries.

A major work was acquired for the permanent collection of Wollongong Art Gallery after his Honours exhibition.

Mr Duffy was also recently commissioned by Campbelltown Arts Centre to develop a public art trail through the Health and Education Precinct under the Western Sydney Infrastructure Grant, expanding his practice into fabrication design.

Mr Homer said showcasing First Nations artists through council programs formed part of a broader commitment to inclusion and cultural understanding.

"Public art has the power to start conversations and broaden perspectives," Mr Homer said.

"By supporting First Nations artists and sharing their work in public spaces, we're helping build a city that values respect and cultural understanding."