Over the last 20 years, Rone has cemented himself as one of Australia’s most successful street artists. He has carved himself a niche in the world of urban art by routinely taking over abandoned places and distressed spaces and filling them with large, despondent portraits of women.
What you might not know is that Rone – real name Tyrone Wright – is from Geelong and he’s returning home for his first survey exhibition. Rone in Geelong presents a comprehensive collection of work spanning his career, from early stencils to photographs that show how he goes about transforming deserted buildings (you can also see one of these spaces recreated in 3D).
Geelong Gallery has also commissioned Rone to transform one of its most significant spaces – the Douglass Room – to reflect the gallery’s architecture, history and collection. Rone will work with interior stylist Carly Spooner to revamp the room, drawing additional inspiration from Venetian palazzos and trompe l’œil paintings (a painting technique that creates the illusion of three dimensions). True to form, the room will also feature an aloof-looking mural of a woman plus a haunting soundtrack by Nick Batterham.
Rone in Geelong was originally planned for winter 2020, but will now run from February 27 to May 16 2021.