Reko Rennie

#Journey

PERTH, AUSTRALIA

Reko Rennie, a Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay interdisciplinary artist, explores his Aboriginal identity through a diverse range of mediums, including contemporary painting, installation, sculpture, and video. His works spark conversations about Indigenous culture and identity within contemporary urban landscapes. By combining the iconography of his Kamilaroi heritage with graffiti-inspired stylistic elements, Rennie's art intricately weaves traditional diamond-shaped designs, hand-drawn symbols, and repetitive patterns to challenge romanticised notions of Aboriginal identity.

After detailed discussions Rennie had with Whadjuk Noongar Elders, Traditional Custodians of the land encompassed within the university buildings footprint and with Apparatus as the Art Consultant , he developed a new artwork for the ECU City Campus, titled ‘Journey’. ‘Journey’ incorporates references to the Karak (Red-tailed Black Cockatoo), Ngoolark (White-tailed Black Cockatoo), and Lake Goologoolup, highlighting the wetlands. These birds act as boorongar or totems for Noongar people, denoting kinship ties, cultural identity and connection to place, and serving as messengers that bridge the physical and spiritual realms. The vibrant hues of the feathers, crafted by the artist, along with the unique markings found on each section, together reflect the cockatoos and the journeys undertaken by Noongar people throughout their Country

The design features two laser-cut feather profiles, with the Karak feather adorned in a vibrant gradient of yellow, orange, red, pink, and black, while the Ngoolark feather showcases a fade of white, yellow, and black. Each feather, with a central spine made from folded metal displaying a glossy black mirror finish, incorporates recessed chevron lighting. The Red-tailed Cockatoo feather is 5 metres tall and has seven chevron lines on each side, whereas the White-tailed Cockatoo feather is 4 metres tall and has twelve chevron lines, all enhanced by programmable multicoloured LED strip lighting that automatically activates at sunset and deactivates at sunrise.

Creative: Reko Rennie

Artwork Title: Journey

Artist Management: David Hagger

Project: ECU Perth Karak Walkway

Client: Edith Cowan University

Year: 2026

Fabrication: UAP

Art Consultant: Apparatus

Noongar Cultural Advisors: Dr Roma Winmar, Farley Garlett and Dr Barb Bynder

Stakeholders: DevelopmentWA

Location: Perth, Australia

I am very proud of my identity. I am proud because, for so long our people were dispossessed and dislocated for declaring their identity, so it’s very important to me to acknowledge who I am. And through my work, I have a voice. Art can be a very powerful tool to raise awareness or make a statement or present an idea. - Reko Rennie

Image Credit: Reko Rennie, Journey, 2026. Edith Cowan University. Photo Frances Andrijich. Courtesy Apparatus and Rachel See, courtesy of UAP | Urban Art Projects