I was always here

Reko Rennie is a Kamilaroi artist based in Melbourne whose works explore issues of Aboriginal identity within an urban environment. His commanding works are largely biographical and combine the iconography of his Kamilaroi heritage with stylistic elements of graffiti and street art.
Rennie came to attention with his large scale site-specific works and has since employed a variety of mediums and forms from spray painted installations, to neon signage, cast metal sculptures and prints on paper. Dominant in his practice is the trademark use of the repeated diamond pattern in brilliant, hard-edge form. These diamonds are derived from the dendroglyphs (carved trees) found in Kamilaroi and Wiradjuri country in New South Wales.
‘I was always here’ – my suspended banner of hand-pressed metallic gold foil on satin incorporates the geometric diamond patterning of the Kamilaroi people as a backdrop to the words, contrasting it against a camouflage pattern to explore themes of Indigenous heritage and cultural empowerment. The banner format recalls Australia’s potent history of activism and Indigenous rights, and engages with ideas around visibility, both individual and communal, representing a statement of solidarity with Indigenous communities from around the world.’ Reko Rennie 2016