James Reka is an Australian contemporary artist and muralist, living in Europe - often jumping between Berlin and Malta, where he has his studio based.
Over the last 20 years of his artistic career, the development and evolution of Reka’s style has been inspired by movements such as Cubism, Mid-Century Modernism, Bauhaus & Surrealism - which revealed the mirage as a curve towards Abstraction. His art often explores themes such as consciousness, transcendence and the mystic. Further fascination of ancient cultures & civilisations, alchemy and mysticism, are apparent in his work.
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 meticulous detailed artworks and large-scale murals. The artist puts an extra care in executing his artwork with specific aesthetics, communicating through harmonious lines, curves, geometric shapes, fluid dynamic movements and bold intersecting vivid colours. No matter from what corner you will be looking at Reka’s paintings, their moving perspectives invite to reflection and optical illusion, through games of colours, symbolism and the use of sacred geometry.
His mystical surreal figures and abstracted sceneries haunt the urban landscape over four continents, clambering up the side of tall buildings & alley-ways - Offering the urban environment an unique perspective, whilst opening dialogue with the viewer in context with the surroundings.
On the streets, Reka’s artwork and murals adorn the walls and tall buildings of cities around the world including: Tokyo, Seoul, Buenos Aires, Montreal, London, Portsmouth, Bristol, Rome, Venice, Milan, Bari, Pinerolo, Stornara, Pescara, Paris, Lyon, Savigny-Le-Temple, Vienna, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bad Vilbel, Bayreuth, Krakow, Aalborg, Roskilde, Kyiv, Malta, Riyadh, Washington DC, Miami, Jacksonville, San Fancisco, Portland, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Sydney, Goldcoast, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne…
James Reka has successfully held solo exhibitions in Paris, London, Milan, Rome, Bristol, Chicago, San Francisco, Krakow, Aalborg, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne. He was also invited to exhibit at the acclaimed Royal West of England Academy (RWA) in Bristol, UK.
Reka’s works have recently been acquisitioned by the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) for their permanent collection - Cementing his place as one of Australia’s most respected contemporary Urban Artists.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2024
“FLORIANA” Backwoods Gallery, Melbourne (AUS)
2022
“Lost & Found” That Art Gallery, Bristol (UK)
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:
2023
"INSIGHT" Collective Group Show, Affenfaust Galerie, Hamburg (DE)
"10 Year Anniversary" Collective Group Show, Galleria Varsi, Rome (IT)
2022
"VARSI" Collective Group Show, Galleria Varsi, Rome (IT)
2020
"10 Years" Collective Group Show, Galerie Mathgoth, Paris (FR)
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)
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019