Reko Rennie

BIOGRAPHY Reko Rennie (Gwaybilla) is a Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay/Gummaroi man, who was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1974. As a teenager Reko discovered graffiti, and with no formal training in art, he soon began his artistic apprenticeship on the streets of Melbourne. Reko's choice of medium is a can of spray-paint, a cutting knife, laminated paper and any wall or blank surface. Reko's art and installations are known for their vibrant colours, line work and intricate stencil imagery. Through his stencil art, Reko focuses on what it means to be an urban Aboriginal man in contemporary society. NGV Indigenous curator, Stephen Gilchrist highly commended Reko's work for his 'uncompromising politics and technical virtuosity'. Reko uses traditional flora and fauna imagery that represent his community. Through Reko's art and installations he continually explores issues of identity, race, law and justice, health, education, land rights, stolen generations and other issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in contemporary society today.

Exhibitions

Paris Residency - 2009

Reko Rennie has recently returned from the three month Australia Council Cite Residency in Paris. During this time Rennie travelled extensively and took this art to the streets of Paris, Berlin and London.

Message Stick - 2009

''The diamond geometric iconography used in my work represents my associations to the Kamilaroi people. The diamond pattern can be likened to a coat of arms, there are four male symbols and four female symbols that designate four different language groups within the Kamilaroi people. The traditional Kamilaroi geometric representation is subverted with my street art associations and aligned to provide a new context of Aboriginality within an urban environment. The can of spray paint is juxtaposed with ceremonial iconography, now there are no boundaries or limitations, this is my message stick.'' Reko Rennie

(ab)original - 2009

Is about identity. The notion of Aboriginality is often confined to stereotypical images of 'real' blackfellas living in the desert, or surviving on the fringes of society. Many urban Aboriginal people do not fit these stereotypes, but still retain a strong association to land, culture and family. My images ask the viewer to reframe romanticised images of Aboriginality and think about them in a contemporary urban environment.