However, even though Queensland Rail in March 2017 promised to keep the artwork, which was admired despite being installed without permission by the artist, it is now gone. Blu Art Xinja's artwork 'Smoke' has disappeared from Central Station, ruined by storms and sun. Credit:Tony Moore Clad in blue tights and blue skivvy, with a blue mask and blue paint brushes strung diagonally across his back, the Blu Art Xinja is one of Brisbane’s most visible guerilla artists. His works liven up Burnett Lane, the Queensland Museum at South Bank, Woolloongabba, the Queen Street Mall and until recently, Brisbane’s Central Station. All of the artist's sculptures are deep blue and most of them are built from marine plywood.

On Wednesday, Xinja still hoped it would return. “I have been told they are replacing it once they are done, which is nice as it wasn't an official part of the building,” Xinja said. “I haven't been there to check lately, but it is a large job so it may take a while before it's back. It's out of my hands for now.” However, Queensland Rail chief executive Nick Easy said time and weather has taken its toll on Smoke. "The artwork was required to be removed, as Queensland Rail is currently undertaking a range of heritage restoration works to the old Central station building, including in the area where the art piece was located," Mr Easy said.

"However, when the artwork was removed, it was found to be in poor condition due to the wooden material used and wet weather impacts." Queensland Rail, which had last year promised to keep the artwork in its Central Station refurbishment, has kept Smoke to return to the artist. Mr Easy is unsure if a new Blu Art Xinja artwork could go back when the Central Station's heritage works are complete. "We encourage the artist to make contact with us, so we can organise for the artwork to be returned to him," was his reply. The Blu Art Xinja surveys his surroundings. Credit:Blu Art Xinja

Recently the Blu Art Xinja added small “parachuting” mice inside a water hydrant and a blue rooster to an inner-city fire hydrant “booster”, where the “b” strangely became an “r” and the booster a "rooster". He has added blue musical notes to the Art Bank at South Bank and trees and birds to the Goodwill Bridge. The notoriously non-graffiti-tolerant Brisbane City Council grudgingly respect his artwork and allow them to remain. However, one sculpture – a blue egg from a dinosaur at the Queensland Museum at South Brisbane – disappeared very quickly when it was discovered by staff. That high-profile work was a giant Easter egg, placed beneath the 10-metre Brachiosaurus that stood for a time outside the Queensland Museum during its Dinosaur Discovery: Lost Creatures of the Cretaceous exhibition.

The egg was quickly removed, but it is understood to still be intact in the museum offices, Blu Art Xinja told Fairfax Media in November 2015. "There was a prize inside (the egg) that I tried to make as benign as possible, because you never know these days with sealed containers," the artist said. "I haven't done any 'epic' pieces that would make headlines, other than perhaps that one, so it's more just the small bits and pieces." If you want to see any of his artworks, then look for the birds in Burnett Lane, or the blue butterfly on the front of the old Wintergarden Theatre in the Queen Street Mall. Blu Art Xinja's blue dragon sculpture. Credit:Blu Art Xinja