sport

Kamilaroi artist Reko Rennie unveils "proud declaration of identity" for hometown F1

Jarred Cross - March 13, 2025

"There's no hiding. It's about being out there," Rennie says of his wrap for a McLaren Artura set for display during the Australian Grand Prix. Image: Jarred Cross.

Kamiliaroi artist Reko Rennie has kicked off F1 weekend in Naarm with "maximum impact", unveiling a one-off McLaren supercar featuring his work.

Rennie presented the collaboration with McLaren F1 driver and fellow hometown product Oscar Piastri behind the wheel ahead of this weekend's Australian Grand Prix on Wednesday.

The distinctly Rennie bold hypercolour, geometric lines and "camouflage" wrap on the makes for a "declaration of proud identities," he said.

"There's no hiding. It's about being out there.

"There's a crossover with art and cars and there has been for a long time."

He added: "We wanted maximum impact and something very striking."

"I had the medium, the canvas of a car and that was pretty inspiring. And to think about how you're going to make it pop out from that."

*Reko Rennie "we wanted maximum impact and something very striking" with his design on the McLaren Artura. (Image: Jarred Cross)*

It comes as part of Australian-born global financial platform Airwallex's "Shifted Perspectives" campaign.

With it, for the self-described motorsport fan and one of most western suburbs kids who dreamed out the F1 driver's lifestyle, came his own video piece - also giving Rennie the chance at hitting Melbourne's streets and a scenic track for "a good time".

Last month, while the wrap remained confidential before going on display at Queensbridge square from Thursday, Rennie told National Indigenous Times: "Like McLaren and Airwallex, where there's a perception and changing ideas and people's perceptions of things."

As part of the campaign, Airwallex offered grants to Australian businesses embodying innovation, announced on Wednesday.

100 per cent Indigenous-owned and managed, female-led and regional based business and social enterprise Chocolate On Purpose was chosen for the First Nations Business category.

Over 12 years, Wiradjuri woman Fiona Harrison has made active steps to fairly supporting cacao farmers and Indigenous Ecuadorian and African cacao female farmers while going the ethically, sustainably, environment-conscious palm-oil free approach for her products.

"The mission goes deeper than that. It's about participation of Indigenous people in the Australian native and botanical supply chain," Ms Harrison told National Indigenous Times.

"I try, wherever I can, to source native ingredients from Indigenous growers…contributing to them playing a bigger game, but more importantly, the platform that I have that I can talk about those farmers helps to grow their participation. So I was very thrilled to get this grant."

*Fiona Harrison, who heads Chocolate On Purpose, took home Airwallex's First Nations Business Grant. (Image: Jarred Cross)*

With it, she plans to invest in a freeze drier for greeting sourcing from farmers not equipped with the equipment.

It's a similar mission undertaken by Rennie this weekend.

"It's (the Artura design) about putting our culture on the world stage and being super international," Rennie told National Indigenous Times.

"What better platform to do it? Here we have a supercar and international organisations supporting First Nation artists and showing the diversity of First Nation art."