Artist Bohie Palecek (known in the art world as Bohie) was given space to paint on a wall as part of the ACT government's upcoming Surface Festival, where, as the promotion material puts it, "artists will transform the built environment of Braddon, Civic and and the National Triangle in Canberra".

Bohie is one of Australia's most respected artists. She paints murals in community projects with the involvement of young people and has also done commercial work for Uber, Jacob's Creek, Westfield and the University of Canberra.

For the Canberra space, she was initially given free rein - so she chose a subject about which she feels strongly: "toxic masculinity", seen by some as an aggressive, sexist attitude displayed by men with too much alcohol inside them.

She said she felt strongly about it because she herself had been harassed by drunken men while she was working.

With all this in mind, she painted "RIP Toxic Masculinity" on a beer can in the green and red colours reminiscent of Victoria Bitter.

But the image was too strong for someone.

A complaint made its way around the ACT government and festival organisers, with the result that the artist was told to remove the mural.

She was given a choice: blank it out completely or paint something new, which would have to be officially approved.

Rather than allow it to be painted over as though it had never existed, she decided to modify it in protest.

But the sanitisation of a powerful creation has left her angry.

"I feel angry because it feels like women in street art are just ticking a box. We are part of a quota within a male-dominated field," she said.

"I'm angry about this instance, but also about the wider aspect of toxic masculinity in Australian culture in general. It is a huge issue, and we are seeing it in the way we are treating the environment and how races other than white are being treated."

The big mystery is who objected to the mural.

The painting was on Rabaul Lane, off Akuna Street, on the wall of a corporate block in which there are apartments but also offices.

Some women from the building passed the mural and told Bohie how much they liked it and its message.

But others from the building seem to have complained quietly to the ACT government. They alleged that the mural was too close to an Indigenous artist's work, and that this alleged closeness - with an association of alcohol and Indigenous people - was offensive.

But Bohie says no Indigenous artist has complained. She wonders if this is a case of white people speaking for Indigenous people - and using it as an excuse to get rid of her strong message about masculinity.

Bohie has had abuse on social media. Her main bully on Instagram is anonymous, apart from having a man's name.

She thinks it is ironic that the main objector to a mural about "toxic masculinity" should display such toxic masculinity in his foul messages: "If anyone is offended by this message, I think they should ask themselves 'Why?' Does it make them feel threatened? Powerless? Unsafe?"

He has been blocked from her site.

She may have the last laugh. Bohie has turned the "toxic masculinity" image into a T-shirt, selling at $65.