Reko Rennie (b. 1974) is a Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay/Gummaroi artist whose practice incorporates sculpture, painting, video work and installation. Largely self-taught, his work often explores his Aboriginal identity, combining the iconography of his Kamilaroi heritage with street art and graffiti styles. ‘As an urban Indigenous Australian, my work often references the hip-hop and graffiti subcultures that were influential on my artistic practice in my formative years.’ The spray paint can acts as a material and a message stick in Rennie’s works, alongside the Aboriginal flag, crowns and diamonds he uses to question sovereignty and power in Australian post-colonial discourses of art. Also an activist, he speaks out on issues such as education, the inclusion of First Nations voices, and self-determination in Australian political and cultural life.
Jasper Knight’s work is known for its bright, brash colours and distinctive graphic approach, often using industrial materials such as spray paint, masonite, pegboard and salvaged signage. Knight’s portrait of Rennie speaks to their mutual influences: street art, mixed media and the work of Howard Arkley.
Gift of Patrick Corrigan AM 2020. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
© Jasper Knight/Copyright Agency, 2022
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