Behind the Art - 

Reko Rennie

Reko Rennie is an interdisciplinary artist who explores his Aboriginal identity through contemporary media.

Through his art, Rennie provokes discussion surrounding Indigenous culture and identity in contemporary urban environments.

Largely autobiographical, his commanding works combine the iconography of his Kamilaroi heritage with stylistic elements of graffiti. Merging traditional diamond-shaped designs, hand-drawn symbols and repetitive patterning to subvert romantic ideologies of Aboriginal identity.

Rebecca Rowe

Teacher - Art

In Art classes this term, students in 7N and 7U have been learning about how to analyse artworks.  Rennie is a renowned and in-demand artist, recognised internationally and much celebrated.  

Students used Rennie's works to explore, question and deepen their understanding of artwork.  They focused on Rennie's use of symbolism, and in response to his piece ‘Initiation’ (2013), the students developed their own personal symbol that represented something about themselves. Using skills acquired through this unit, each student turned their symbol into a foam stamp. 

Having produced their stamps, the class got busy printing and created a collaborative work as an homage to Rennie’s piece! 

Their work (pictured here) certainly echoes Rennies style and is pretty impressive. Well done to 7N & 7U!

Celebrating Reko Rennie

Reko Rennie will be featured in an exhibition at Melbourne’s NGV this year called Rekospective: the art of Reko Rennie.  I encourage the students to take their families along to visit and discover the road that Rennie has travelled on his artistic journey. 

The exhibition will open on October 11 and will be housed in The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Federation Square. Entry is free.