Biography

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James Reka is a young contemporary Australian artist based in Berlin, Germany. His origins lie in the alleyways and train lines of Melbourne’s inner-suburbs where he spent over a decade refining his now-emblematic aesthetic. His figurative work has come to represent the beginnings of a new style of street art: clean, unique and not necessarily on the street (much to his mother’s joy). 

Surrealist, abstracted creatures emerge from the depths of Reka’s mind, communicating through strong lines, dynamic movement and bold colours. Theses figures haunt the laneways over four continents, clambering up brick walls and giving the urban environment a literal fresh coat of paint. Their personalities mirror those of their often-decrepit metropolitan context, opening a dialogue between the viewer and their surroundings. 

Through these origins, Reka has developed an incredibly diligent, almost obsessive attention to the technical proficiency of his work, and it has moved him towards producing ever-increasingly meticulously detailed pieces. His art sits somewhere between humorous and menacing, contrasting the two opposing feelings in a way that is unique to his vision. These pseudo-human forms are recognisable but isolating, playful yet eerie. This is Reka’s art: a paradox between sharp design and graffiti, held together with a fuse of passion and spray paint. 

Reka’s art work has been inspired by 2 movements; Cubism getting the upper hand over Surrealism, which revealed the mirage as a curve towards abstraction. The artist puts an extra care in executing his figures with specific aesthetics, vivid coloured flat tints, burless painted turns, lines and curves. Straightforward, his compositions made of pop hints are flirting with geometry. No matter from what corner you will be looking at Rekas’ paintings, their moving perspectives invite to reflection and optical illusion, through games of colours, straight lines and volumes. 

Merging classic and folk backgrounds, the artist likes to break boundaries between forms and contours. On a wall or a canvas, the characters and objects nest one with another by the game of astonishing straight twists, becoming almost necessary to ogle in order to see what is hidden there. 

“My style” he said “is more straightforward now, it has become rather abstract over the years. I am more focusing on the whole harmony rather than the content, on the link between every individual line and every shape.” 

Reka has held solo exhibitions in Chicago, Krakow, London, Paris, Milan, San Francisco, Denmark, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne. He was also invited to exhibit at the acclaimed Royal West of England Academy (RWA) in Bristol, UK. On the streets, his characters adorn the walls of cities around the world from Tokyo to Buenos Aires and Paris to Brooklyn, Montreal to Berlin and the 4 corners of the world. Reka’s works have recently been acquisitioned by the National Gallery of Australia for their permanent collection. cementing his place as one of Australia’s most respected contemporary street artists. 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS:

2021

“Forbidden Fruit” Backwoods Gallery, Melbourne (AUS)

2018

“Scarlet” Backwoods Gallery, Melbourne (AUS)

“NeuDeco” Vertical Gallery, Chicago (USA)

2017

"Aus Berlin" That Art Gallery, Bristol (UK)

2016

"MIRAGE" Galerie Mathgoth, Paris (FR)

2015

“OLYMPVS” Avantgarde Gallery, Milano (IT)

2014

“Trip The Light” Stolenspace Gallery, London (UK)

“Untold” Backwoods Gallery, Melbourne (AUS)

2013

“3am Femmes” WhiteWalls Gallery, San Francisco (USA)

“James Reka” Galerie Wolfsen, Aalborg (Denmark)

“Open Studio” Backwoods Gallery, Melbourne (AUS)

2012

“Primary Suspects” Backwoods Gallery, Melbourne (AUS)

2011

“Down Low Too Slow” Backwoods Gallery, Melbourne (AUS)

2010

“Outside Infinity” 19Karen Gallery, Mermaid Beach, Goldcoast (QLD)

2009

“Such Is Life” Greenwood Gallery, South Melbourne (VIC)

2008

“Against The Grain” Wasteland Gallery, Perth CBD (WA)

”Tall Oaks” No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne CBD (VIC)

”Tall Oaks” China Heights Gallery, Surry Hills, Sydney (NSW)

2006

“100K Melbourne” Bus Gallery, Melbourne CBD (VIC)

”100K Sydney” China Heights Gallery, Surry Hills, Sydney (NSW)

2004

“Negative Reality” Early Gallery, Collingwood (VIC)

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:

2018

2017

“Pow Wow Hawaii” curated by Thinkspace gallery, Honolulu (HI)

2016

“Scope Miami”  Miami Basel Art Fair/ Thinkspace, Miami (USA)

“Entry Point” Fullerton Museum Center, California (USA)

“Nexus” Brand Library & Art Center, California (USA)

“Pow Wow Hawaii” curated by Thinkspace gallery, Honolulu (HI)

“What the Weekend is” Berlin group exhibition Urban Spree, Berlin (DE)

2015

“Sans Sitre”  Galerie Mathgoth, Paris (FR)

“La Familia”  Thinkspace Gallery, Los Angeles (USA)

“Paint-Ting” Michael Reid Gallery, Berlin (DE)

“Reasons for Seasons” Stolenspace Gallery, London (UK)

“Made in Berlin” Galerie Mathgoth, Paris (FR)

2014

“Scope Miami”  Miami Basel Art Fair/ Thinkspace, Miami (USA)

“Group show”  Thinkspace Gallery, Los Angeles (USA)

“Street Life” Galerie Wolfson, Aalborg, (Denmark)

“Redux” Inoperable Gallery, Vienna (AT)

“Sinners & Saints”  Stolenspace Gallery, London (UK)

“Pow Wow Hawaii”  Thinkspace Gallery pop-up, Honolulu (HI)

“Scope NY” Scope Art Fair/ Blackbook Gallery, New York (USA)

2013

“Eyes” eye themed group show, Backwoods Gallery, Melbourne (AUS)

“Bricks and Pieces” international group show, Able & Baker Gallery, Cologne (Germany)

“7” 7th Anniversary group show, Stolenspace Gallery, London (UK)

“Kindred” international group show, Bold Hype Gallery, New York (USA)

“Paper” international group show, Intoxicated Demons Gallery, Munich (Germany)

“Knock it out” international group show, Blackbook Gallery, Denver (USA)

2012

“Natural: Unnatural” international group show, Royal West Acadamy of Art (RWA), Bristol (UK)

“Hands” hands themed group show, Backwoods Gallery, Melbourne (AUS)

2011

“Young & Free” Australian Street-art show, 941 Geary, San Francisco (USA)

“NGV studio” Everfresh residency and exhibition NGV Studio (Federation Square) Melbourne CBD (VIC)

“South of the Border” group show, Lo-Fi Gallery, Surry Hills (NSW)

“Space Invaders” Street Art Exhibition, RMIT Gallery, Melbourne CBD (VIC)

2010

“Exterior Motives: International Street-art”, Canberra (Space Invaders sideshow)

“Everfresh Booklaunch” and Exhibition – PLSMIS Gallery Tokyo

“Street Studio” Book Launch & Exhibition, No Vacancy/Fed Square, Melbourne CBD (VIC)

“Mixed Business” Semi Permanent Exhibition, Ambush Gallery, Waterloo (NSW)

“Street Studio” Book Launch & Exhibition, Black Rat Press Gallery, London (UK)

“Everfresh Blackbook” Book launch and exhibition, 1000Pound Bend Melbourne (VIC)

“Space Invaders” Street Art Exhibition, National Gallery of Australia (NGA) Canberra (ACT)

2021

• San Paolo QM Project - 5 storey exterior Mural Commission + Community Art Project. Bari, Italy.
• Liebesbier "Art Hotel" - 2 x Interior rooms + feature wall commissions. Maisel Brewery. Bayreuth, Germany.
• Stuart Magazine #28 - Artist Feature - September/October. Paris, France.
• Keyi Magazine #24 - Artist Feature - May/June. Berlin, Germany

2020

• Bad Vilbel Mural Project-  2 storey "Water themed" Tower exterior Mural Commission. Bad Vilbel, Germany.
• John Reed Fitness Studio - 2 x Interior mural commission. Gelsenkirchen, Germany

2019

• Pow Wow! Venice - Mural Festival - 5 storey exterior Mural + Exhibition, Venice, Italy.
• Tiffany & Co. - Commissioned Interior Artwork installation - Sydney Flagship store. Sydney, Australia.
• ULTRA Festival Korea - Live painting & Mural commission, Seoul, South Korea.
• Wall Street Art. Mural Project -   A series of Commissioned exteriorMurals on the local Mediatheque + Community Project discussion. Savingy-le-temple,  Paris-Sud, France.