The Monica mural is built from continuous line drawings that cross, weave, and loop through one another — a deliberate visual language of connection and interdependence. It depicts a world of reciprocal, consensual love and respect: a modern take on the birds and the bees, except here the story belongs to moths and wasps.

The figures appear in poses that are erotic, but also deeply affectionate — bodies shown with tenderness, ease, and a sense of safety. They are intimate without shame, comfortable in their own skin and with their companion.

A fig, rather than an apple, has long been suggested as the true ‘forbidden fruit’ from the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve are traditionally shown with fig leaves covering their bodies, and Michelangelo famously painted the forbidden fruit as a fig in his Sistine Chapel fresco.

The fig also carries another powerful meaning: in nature, figs and wasps can share a rare symbiotic relationship. In Australia, fig wasps are essential pollinators for native fig trees. A female wasp enters the fig through a tiny opening, carrying pollen from another fruit. Inside, she lays her eggs. When the new generation is ready to emerge, the males leave first — digging tunnels so the females can follow. After carving this passage, the males die.

The ‘butterflies’ in the mural are, in fact, moths. Moths are creatures of the night — and so are hospitality venues. The emperor gum moth, which feeds on cherry guava, appears in the design alongside the fruit itself.

The mural also includes grapes (wine), hops (beer), and the blossoms of figs and cherry guava. Bars are places where people come to unwind, to soften, to connect — and Monica is no exception.