Reko Rennie — Sydney Contemporary

Black Diamond (Blue) (2013)
acrylic and ink on canvas
100 x 100 cm

SydneyArt & Culture

King and Country

Reko Rennie crowns Australia's indigenous people with Black Diamond series...

Using three simple symbols, Aboriginal artist Reko Rennie gives us his take on the sovereignty of Australia in his series of Black Diamond paintings, clones of repeating golden crowns and Aboriginal flags with a different coloured diamond at the centre of each work.

The crowns represent the Aboriginal people’s status as the original rulers of the Australian lands. The hand-painted motif also alludes to Rennie’s past as a graffiti artist and is a homage to celebrated head-obsessed street artist turned painter Jean-Michel Basquiat. Rennie himself is a member of the indigenous Kamilaroi nation of New South Wales, who use a diamond as a sort of family crest. He is at the forefront of artists exploring what it means to be an urban Aborigine in modern Australia, has won awards for his work including the Victorian Indigenous Art Award 2008, and has been exhibited and completed commissions worldwide. Black Diamond, presented by the brilliant Blackartprojects, is featuring at the Sydney Contemporary art fair from 19 to 22 September.

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Reko Rennie at Sydney Contemporary

Reko Rennie in his studio

Reko Rennie at Sydney Contemporary

Black Diamond (Orange) (2013)
acrylic and ink on canvas
100 x 100 cm

Reko Rennie at Sydney Contemporary

Black Diamond (Pink) (2013)
acrylic and ink on canvas
100 x 100 cm

Reko Rennie at Sydney Contemporary

Black Diamond (Gold) (2013)
acrylic and ink on canvas
100 x 100 cm

Reko Rennie at Sydney Contemporary

Black Diamond (Green) (2013)
acrylic and ink on canvas
100 x 100 cm

Reko Rennie at Sydney Contemporary

Black Diamond (Silver) (2013)
acrylic and ink on canvas
100 x 100 cm