Bio
Finding the friction point between beauty and decay is a thread that runs through much of Rone’s work. As a street artist best known for his haunting, stylised images of women’s faces, he understands better than most that beauty can be fleeting. Seeing his artworks gradually worn away by natural and human elements has taught him to appreciate the unexpected beauty of an image as it begins to blend back into its more prosaic surroundings.
Rone has gone from spearheading Melbourne’s fledgling street art movement in the early 2000s, as a member of the Everfresh crew, to being a celebrated fixture on the international street art scene. An inveterate traveller, his distinctive female muses have followed him around the world, and can be found – in various states of decay – peering out from beneath overpasses and emblazoned on walls everywhere from New York to New Zealand and many places in between.
These days, Rone’s work is found as often in galleries as it is on the streets. His work has been acquisitioned by the National Gallery of Australia, commissioned by the National Gallery of Victoria to work with Jean Paul Gaultier and shown by galleries in London, Berlin and New York.
“Internationally if you talk about street art and you talk about Australia, you’ve got to talk about Melbourne and Everfresh. And if you talk about Everfresh, you talk about Rone. He’s really helped put Melbourne on the map.”
-Ian Strange, The Age Newspaper, 2014
ARTIST CV
Studios
2019 Private Studio
2004-2019 Everfresh Studio (Resident & Founding member)
2002-2003 Blender Studio
Solo Exhibtions
2021 'Rone In Geelong, Geelong Gallery, Australia
2019 ‘Empire’ Rone, Burnham Beeches, Australia
2017 ‘The Omega Project’ Rone, Melbourne, Australia
2017 ‘The Alpha Project’ Rone, Melbourne, Australia
2016 ‘Empty’ Rone, Melbourne, Australia
2014 ‘Lumen’ Rone, Melbourne, Australia
2014 ‘Wall Flower’ Stolen Space Gallery, London, UK
2012 ‘Darkest before the Dawn’ White Walls Gallery, San Francisco, USA
2012 ‘FALL FROM GRACE’ Backwoods Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
2011 ‘L’Inconnue De La Rue’ Backwoods Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
Selected Commissions
2020 West Side Place - The Ritz Carlton, Empty Shop installation (Artcade by Juddy Roller)
2018 Westin Hotel, Perth 22m Mural
2017 Gen Fynsford, Geelong 38m Silos
2015 M-Docklands, Places Victoria 18 metre mural
2015 Embassy of Spain, Canberra Urban Art Prize
2014 National Gallery of Victoria 80m mural for Jean Paul Gaultier
2014 Melbourne Festival/Yarra trams Art Tram
2011 National Gallery of Victoria, NGV Studio space 25 Metre Wall commissioned by Gallery
2010 National Gallery of Australia (ACT) Molonglo group commissioned a 15 wall
Institutional Collections
Geelong Gallery, Permanent Collection (2 photographic prints)
National Gallery of Victoria (4 photographic prints)
Urban Nation Museum, Berlin (Permanent Collection, Canvas)
Detroit Historical Museum Permanent Collection (print)
The State Library of Victoria Permanent Collection (print)
PANDORA Archive ‘r-o-n-e.com’
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
Gordon Darling Australia Pacific Print Fund 2007 (8 works on paper)
Melbourne City Library ‘Street Works’ 2004
Selected Group Exhibitions
2017 Urban Nation Opening Exhibtion, Berlin
2017 Kirk Gallery, Denmark
2017 “Born on the Street’ Benalla Art Gallery, Australia
2017 “Urban Currents” Kirk Gallery, Aalborg, Denmark
2016 “Brick to Canvas: A Survey of International Street Art” Tinney Contemporary, Nashville, USA
2015 “Murals in the Market” 1xRun Gallery, Detroit USA 2015 “LAX/LHR” Stolen Space Gallery, London UK
2015 “The Patterson Project”, Melbourne
2015 “Pow! WoW!” Honolulu Museum of Art, HI, USA
2014 “Miami Marine Stadium” National Trust For Historic Preservation, Miami, USA
2013 “Young Blood” | Opera Gallery, NYC, USA
2013 “Work In Progress” Above Second Gallery, Hong Kong 2013 “Writing’s On The Wall” | Metro Gallery, Melbourne
2013 “7” Stolen Space Gallery, London, UK
2013 “Keep Youth” Retrospect Galleries, Byron Bay
2012 “Urban Master” Opera Gallery, London, UK
2011 “Everfresh Studio” | Ngv Studio, Melbourne
2011 “Outpost Project” Cockatoo Island, Sydney
2011 “The Super Heroes” | Edwina Corlette, Brisbane
2011 “Young & Free”, White Walls Gallery, San Francisco, USA
2011 “12 X 12” Ambush Gallery, Sydney
2011 “Underbelly” | Opera Gallery, Miami, USA
2010 “On The Wall” Metro 5 Gallery, Melbourne
2010 ’Everfresh:Blackbook’ Launch, Plsmis Gallery, Tokyo
2010 ’Everfresh:Blackbook’ Launch, Ambush Gallery, Sydney
2010 ’Everfresh:Blackbook’ Launch, £1000 Bend, Melbourne
2010 “Space Invaders” | National Gallery Of Australia, Canberra
2009 “Art Melbourne” Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne
2008 “Art Melbourne” Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne 2008 “Everfresh” Wasteland Gallery, Perth
2007 “Backwoods” (Everfresh Group Show) Wooden Shadow Gallery, Melbourne
2007 “The Back-Up Show” Hogan Gallery, Melbourne
2007 “No Comply 3” Federation Square, Melbourne 2005 Stencil Festival, Meatmarket, North Melbourne
2006 “No Comply 2” No Vacancy, Melbourne
2004 “Street Works” Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne 2004 Stencil Festival, North Melbourne
Murals and installations in:
Australia (Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Wollongong, Geelong & Bunbury) New Zealand, Vanuatu, Hong Kong, Tokyo, USA, (Hawaii, San Francisco, New York, Detroit, Miami, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Austin), London, Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Malaysia, Taiwan, Cuba, Mexico Argentina & Canada.
Professional Development
2018
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Public Murals:
Docklands, Victoria, Australia
Perth, Western Australia
South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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2017
Public Murals:
Geelong, Australia
Clarksdale, MI, USA
Toowoomba, Australia
Edinburgh,Scotland
Lascelles, Australia
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Benalla, Australia
New Orleans, USA
​
2016
Public Murals:
Gothenburg, Sweden
Port Vila, Vanuatu
Dark Mofo- Hobart,Australia Harlem NY, USA
Nashville TN, USA
Dubai, UAE
Melbourne, Australia Wellington, New Zealand Morro Bay, California, USA Bunbury, Western Australia
2015
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-National Gallery of Victoria, Speaker for La Trobe University
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Public Murals:
Santiago De Cuba, Cuba Havana, Cuba
Museo Organico, Romerillo, Cuba
Varadero, Cuba
Docklands, Australia Detroit, USA
Spanish Embassy, Canberra Robina Town Centre, QLD Moreland City Council
Tokyo, Japan
Magda Gallery, London, UK Brighton, UK
Amsterdam, Netherland Vannes, Brittany, France Munich, Germany
Austin, Texas, USA
Playa Vista, USA
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2014
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Art Tram, Melbourne International Art Festival
Jean Paul Gaultier Mural, National Gallery of Victoria
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Public Murals:
Mele Maat, Vanuatu
Powerhouse ‘Broken Window Theory’ Geelong, Australia
Downtown Hollywood Mural Project, Florida, USA
Art Basel Miami, USA
‘UrbanXChange’, Penang, Malaysia
Austin, USA
New Orleans, USA
Baton Rouge, USA
Nashville, USA
‘Miami Marine Stadium’, Miami, USA ‘Tryp’ Hotel Facade Mural, Brisbane ‘Mural Festival’ Montreal, Canada ‘Pow!Wow! Taiwan’ Public Mural, Taiwan University
‘Rue & Co’ Public Mural, Collins St, Melbourne
2013
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-’Just Graffiti’ The Age (Newspaper)
-‘What Is Sexy’ Tvc, Victoria’s Secret ‘Analogue Digital’ Creative Conference, Brisbane (Speaker)
-‘Lunch Box Design Talks’ RMIT (Speaker)
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Public Murals:
‘Rise’, Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, New Zealand
‘Hola Color’ Juarez, Mexico
Art Basel Miami, USA
‘Project M’ Berlin
‘Unstoppable’, Independence Australia ‘Oi You’ Mural Festival, Adelaide Wyndam Hotel Group, Brisbane
‘Pow Wow’Mural Festival, Hawaii, USA
2012
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‘Fountain Art Fair’, Miami, USA
‘The Peoples Market’, Melbourne Australia ‘Freewalls’ Paris
‘Wonderwalls’ Mural Festival, Wollongong ‘Forest For The Trees’Mural Festival, Portland, USA
Art Basel Miami, USA
‘Pow Wow’Mural Festival, Hawaii, USA
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2011 - 2003
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2011 Public Murals, Art Basel Miami, USA
2010 ‘The Underbelly Project’ Hidden Subway Station, New York
2010 Founding Member Of Backwoods Gallery
2009 ‘First Five Out’ Rmit (Speaker)
2007 Public Works - Tokyo, Barcelona, New York, La
2005 ‘Live Art’ Big Day Out Festival 2004 ‘Street Art’ Livid Festival
Selected Media Coverage (Print/ TV)
2019 (TV) Channel 7 news
2019 (TV) ABC News​
2019 (TV) Postcards​
2019 (WEB TV) Time Out
2019 (WEB TV) Urban List
2019 (TV) TRT World (Turkey)
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2019 ABC News Street artist Rone transforms Melbourne mansion
2019 Arts Review Empire – an installation by Rone
2019 Financial Review Artist Rone transforms derelict mansion in 'Empire'
2019 Broadsheet Rone's Empire
2019 Concrete Playground Rone: Empire
2019 The Age Street artist Rone turns back time in derelict Sherbrooke mansion
2019 The Design Files Rone's 'Empire' Eclipses All That Came Before
2019 Herald Sun beauty-among-the-decay-in-pictures
2019 The Local Project Empire by Rone Transforms a Deserted Art Deco Mansion
2019 Urban List Rone’s Latest Project Is The Transformation Of An Abandoned Art Deco Mansion
2019 Time Out Rone: Empire
2019 Weekend Notes Rone: Empire
2019 Booooooom Empire by artist Rone
2019 Daily Mail (UK) hauntingly beautiful art installation
2019 Hype Beast Rone 'Empire' Installation Australia
2019 Street Art News Rone unveils stunning project in Melbourne
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2018 Domain 'eyesore transformed'
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2017 Inside the ruined house that became a canvas for street artist Rone The Age
2017 Masterchef
2017 ABC Iview
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2016 The Age
2016 Domain
2016 UK Daily Mail
2016 WSMV Bulgers Beat
2016 ‘Graffiti’ ABC
2016 7:30 interview
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2015 Detroit Free Press, Cover
2015 Bliss Magazine, USA (Cover)
2015 ABC Radio Interview (Re: Vanuatu)
2015 ABC News Interview (Re: Powerhouse Geelong)
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2014 Broadsheet ‘Breaking Down Rone’s Biggest Work’
2014 Broadsheet ‘Rone’s Melbourne Take Over’
2014 Seven News (90 Second National Tv ) ‘Giant Mural Unveiled In Melbourne’
2014 Ngv Gallery Magazine Feature ‘In Studio: Rone’
2014 The Age, M, (Cover Story) ‘This Rise Of Rone’
2014 Kwong Wah (Malayian Newspaper, Cover Story)
2014 The Geelong Advertiser (Cover Story Re: Powerhouse)
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2013 Vogue Italia (Photo) 2013 Vna Issue 21, (Interview)
2013 Ilawarra Mercury, Nov 13 (Cover) 2013 Vanuatu Daliy Post, Jan 3 (Cover)
2013 ‘Graffiti Artist Steps Out Of The Shadows’ The Age
2013 ‘Collecting Street Art’ 7:30 Report, ABC.
(Feature)
2013 Leader Newspaper (Cover Story)
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2012 ‘Extra’ The Sunday Age. (Photo)
2012 Laminate Most Wanted (Feature)
2012 ‘Top Five Pieces Of Street Art’ Time Out Melbourne
2012 ‘Where All Roads Lead To Rone’ The Age
2007 ‘The Girl In The Tunnel’ The Age (Feature)
2005 ‘Street Scene’ The Age (Melbourne) Magazine
Bibliography
Monograph:
Thames & Hudson 2020
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Co-author:
EVERFRESH: BLACKBOOK Melbourne University Press, 2010
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Featured Artist in:
-Street Art, Lonely Planet, 2017 -The Art of the Mural, Schiffer, 2016
-The Melbourne Street Art Guide, Thames & Hudson, 2016 (Cover)
- Street Art Australia, Hardie Grant, 2015
- Street Art Now, Sunshine, 2015
-Mural XXL, Thames & Hudson, 2015
-Contemporary Portraits, Index Book Barcelona, 2014 - The Art of the Underbelly Project, Rizzoli, 2012.
- Space Invaders, National Gallery of Australia Publishing, 2011.
-Street|Studio, Thames & Hudson, 2010
-Space Invaders: National Gallery of Victoria (Exhibition catalogue), Thames & Hudson, 2010
-Uncommissioned Art, Melbourne University Press, 2007
-Street Art Uncut, Craftman house, 2006 -Stencil Graffiti Capital: Melbourne, 2005
Documentaries
The Wanderers - 2017, ABC Iview (Featured artist)
Exit Through The Gift Shop 2010 Banksy (Appearance with credit)
Melbourne Ink- 2009 Romain Levrault & Julien Sena (Featured artist)
RASH 2005 Nicholas Hansen (Featured artist)