Reko Rennie at the Art Gallery of New South Wales

By Benjamen Judd

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If you haven’t been there already, taking the time to head to the Art Gallery of New South Wales to see the current exhibition by Indigenous artist, Reko Rennie, before it closes on the November 30.

Titled ‘No Sleep till Dreamtime’ (a title inspired by Beastie Boys hit ‘No Sleep till Brooklyn’) the exhibition explores contemporary Indigenous identity in the urban environment. ‘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’, says Reko Rennie, a Kamilaroi artist based in Melbourne. ‘In this work I have merged traditional Kamilaroi diamond-shaped designs, hand-drawn symbols and repetitive patterning to subvert romantic ideologies of Aboriginal identity.’

An interdisciplinary artist, Reko has shown internationally including Paris, Berlin, Italy, Jakarta, Shanghai and USA. Recent highlights include: 2012-13 La Trobe University public art commission, 2012 Archibald Prize Finalist, a solo exhibition at SCOPE Art Fair, New York 2012, a 35-metre commissioned work by the Washington DC Arts and Humanities and a two-year public artwork, Neon Natives as part of the 2011 Melbourne Laneway Commission. More recently, he has also collaborated with local eyewear label Colab to release a range of limited edition sunglasses.

No Sleep till Dreamtime is now showing at the Art Gallery of New South Wales until November 30.