Reko Rennie
BIOGRAPHY
Reko Rennie (Gwaybilla) is a Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay/Gummaroi man, who was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1974. As a teenager Rennie discovered graffiti, and with no formal training in art, he soon began his artistic apprenticeship on the streets of Melbourne.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’.
His art and installations continually explore 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.
Rennie was Highly Commended - Gumbri: White Dove, by NGV and was finalist in the Royal Bank Scotland Emerging Artist Award (formerly ABN AMBRO Award). In 2008 Rennie exhibited in, ‘Octopus 9: I Forget to Forget’ at Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, curated by Stephen Gilchrist (NGV), which toured to Canberra Contemporary Art Spaces that same year. He has been the recipient of many major grants and awards such as the 2009 Cite Internationale des Artes, Australia Council Residency, Paris. Arts Grant – City of Port Phillip and was the winner of the 2008 Victorian Indigenous Artist Award.
In 2011 Rennie was invited to collaborate with Jakarta street artist, Bujangan Urban at Kommunitas Salihara at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia. Rennie exhibited Patternation at the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection at the University of Virginia, USA. He has recently been a finalist in the 2011 Western Australian Indigenous Art Awards at the Art Gallery of Western Australia and was commissioned by the Art Gallery of New South Wales for a large 5 x 6 metre wall work.
His solo exhibition, Home Brand was part of the 2011 Come Out Festival at the Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide and he has recently exhibited at MOP Sydney and completed a public artwork, Neon Natives as part of the 2011 Melbourne Laneway Commission.
ARTIST CV
ARTIST NEWS
May 16, 2012We are very proud to announce the National Gallery of Australia, has acquired two major works by Reko Rennie from his Neo Geo series exhibited in the gallery in 2011. Message Stick (Green) Hand Pressed Textile Metallic Foil, Screen Print … Continue reading |
April 26, 2012Latest exhibition for Reko Rennie. Reko Rennie is currently showing at the Australia Council for the Arts in Surry Hills, Sydney. The exhibition features work from Message Stick, Native and Neo Geo. Reko was also commissioned to install a large … Continue reading |
March 21, 2012We are very proud to announce that Natasha Bieniek, Juan Ford, Vincent Fantauzzo, Reko Rennie are all finalists in the prestigious Archibald National Portrait Prize and Neil Haddon and Juan Ford are finalists in the Wynne Landscape Prize! We wish … Continue reading |
January 19, 2012We are very excited to announce we are presenting Reko Rennie in a solo exhibition at SCOPE Art Fair New York. If you are in New York for the Amory show, just call in and see us as we are … Continue reading |
December 20, 2011We are proud to announce that Reko Rennie has been selected as a Gertrude Contemporary Studio Artist in 2012. Gertrude Contemporary presents approximately 20 exhibitions annually featuring work by Australian and international artists across three gallery spaces with a focus … Continue reading |
October 27, 2011Yhonnie Scarce is back home after a whirlwind trip to New York , her work was received to great acclaim and she will be exhibiting back in the USA in 2012. If you’re in Peru, Marian Drew is exhibiting new … Continue reading |
August 25, 2011We are proud to announce that Natalie Ryan has recently been shortlisted for three national art awards! Look out for her in the Substation Contemporary Art Prize – Exhibition from September 3-25. Click here to learn more about the Woollahra … Continue reading |
July 26, 2011Congratulations to Yhonnie Scarce , her amazing work Burial Ground is included in a major exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts ( MoCADA) New York – go see if you’re in NY August 11 to October 30 … Continue reading |
June 24, 2011Reko Rennie and Yhonnie Scarce are the recipients of Melbourne Laneway Commissions for 2011……brilliant ! This is an annual program and the commissions provide ongoing opportunities for artists, foster creative capacity and strongly advocate the artist profession. Unpredictable by nature … Continue reading |
April 8, 2011Congratualations are in order for our artists who have been selected for 2011 Archibald Prize and Wynne Prize. Vincent Fantauzzo’s shortlisted work featuring Matt Moran has taken out the Packing Room Prize. Our fingers are also crossed for Natasha Bieniek’s … Continue reading |
March 18, 2011More congratulations in order this week! First off, work by Reko Rennie and Yhonnie Scarce can be seen in the Victorian Indigenous Art Award finalist exhibition at Fortyfive Downstairs until April 2. We are very proud of Reko and Yhonnie … Continue reading |
January 28, 2011Stormy Weather, Contemporary Landscape Photography is an exhibition drawing from the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Victoria, currently running at the Ian Potter Centre, NGV Australia at Federation Square. Examining contemporary photographers’ active relationships with various environments, the … Continue reading |
EXHIBITIONS
Archibald Prize 2012 Art Gallery New South Wales
2012
SCOPE Art Show New York 2012
2012
Neo Geo
2011
Off-site projects
2011
Patternation at the Kluge-Ruhe Institute, USA
2011
Connect Four at Paradise Hills
2010
Shanghai
2010
Australian Pavilion Shanghai
2010
Native
2010
Octopus 9: I Forget to Forget
2009
Paris Residency
2009
Message Stick
2009
(ab)original
2009
