Ames Yavuz has unveiled a solo exhibition of new works by renowned Kamilaroi artist Reko Rennie.
Located at the Commonwealth Street gallery, the exhibition has now kicked off and will be open to the public until 9 November.
Titled 'Urban Rite' the exhibition by the Interdisciplinary artist presents a fresh series of figurative paintings that mark a dynamic new direction for the Rennie.
The works featured in the exhibition portray faceless figures that represent a defiant reimagining of the urban landscape as a space of Indigenous resilience, progress, and success. Rennie combines striking patterns drawn from his Kamilaroi heritage with contemporary car culture to create complex portraits of urban Indigenous identity.
With Urban Rite marking his first exhibition with Ames Yavuz and coinciding with a major survey exhibition, REKOSPECTIVE, at the National Gallery of Victoria, Rennie's solo exhibition in Sydney expands upon his pursuits to reclaim Indigenous ownership over space and place within the urban landscape.
Rennie is celebrated for his exploration of his Aboriginal identity through contemporary media, provoking discussion surrounding Indigenous culture and identity in contemporary urban environments. His commanding works fuse the iconography of his Kamilaroi heritage with stylistic elements of graffiti, informed by his youth as a Melbourne-based graffiti artist, and traditions of painting.
The internationally recognised artist has exhibited across Australia, Asia, the United States and Europe, and his work is held in major collections including Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, National Gallery of Victoria, National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of Western Australia, University of Virginia, USA, and the New Contemporary Art Museum, China.
Speaking on his new body of work Rennie said "It has taken years to get to a point where I am comfortable to share this side of myself and my practice".
"I'm excited and proud of this new body of work at Ames Yavuz. The figurative elements throughout Urban Rite play on smashing romanticised notions of Aboriginal identity," he said.
"They're about resisting stereotypes and reclaiming space, blending urban aspirations with a rich spiritual identity that is part of the world's oldest living and continuing culture. It feels incredibly powerful to launch this new direction as the first show with Ames Yavuz, alongside my survey show REKOSPECTIVE at the NGV Melbourne."
With cultural diversity and represnttaion at the heart of Ames Yavuz, Ames Yavuz managing director Owen Craven said that the gallery is is honoured to open the Urban Rite exhbition.
"Reko Rennie is unique for his unapologetic approach to telling stories of survival and success through his paintings and for the complex, often harrowing histories that underpin his symbols. This is what makes him a generation-defining voice in contemporary art," he said.
"Ames Yavuz is honoured to open Urban Rite, which is our first solo exhibition with Rennie. This new body of work marks a bold and fresh new chapter in Rennie's practice, responding to his major retrospective at the National Gallery of Victoria."
Reko Rennie: Urban Rite Ames Yavuz Gallery 114 Commonwealth Street, NSW 2010, showing until the 9th of November 2024. Tuesday to Saturday, 10am – 6pm
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