Street Artist Breathes New Life Into Forgotten Spaces With Captivating Portrait Murals

Perth’s historic Centenary Galleries at The Art Gallery of Western Australia include spaces that have been closed and left untouched for 20 years, but Australian multidisciplinary artist Rone recently gave them a new lease on life. He transformed 12 deserted rooms—including an old mail room and a disused news agency—with his large-scale murals featuring female faces. His immersive exhibition, titled TIME • RONE, invites viewers to rediscover these forgotten spaces from mid-century Australia.

The exhibition, which took three years to complete, has opened both floors of the Centenary Galleries to the public for the first time in two decades. Each room—with cracked paint and leftover furniture—is a time capsule, preserved exactly as it was before being abandoned. An old switchboard room retains its original equipment, cables, and chairs, while a sewing workroom still holds rows of sewing machines and pieces of fabric scattered across the tables. Rone commemorates the history of each space and the people who worked there with his ghostly portraits painted across walls, doors, cabinets, and bookcases.

The Centenary Galleries provided immense inspiration for Rone, serving as the ideal setting for his ethereal portraits. “It allows me to blur the lines between my artwork and the building so you can’t tell where the art stops and the building starts,” says the artist. “There is so much detail in each room, you could never see it all in one visit.”

Rone’s stunning visuals are supported by a soundscape created by composer Nick Batterham. Visitors can also experience immersive dinners, a RONE store, and a fully designed RONE-inspired bar space.

TIME • RONE is now on view until September 30, 2024. Check out some photos from the incredible exhibition below.

Australian artist Rone recently transformed Perth's historic Centenary Galleries with large-scale mural portraits.

The exhibition, which took three years to complete, has opened both floors of the building to the public for the first time in two decades

Each room—with cracked paint and leftover furniture—is a time capsule, preserved exactly as it was before being abandoned.

Each space invites viewers to rediscover these forgotten spaces and find beauty in their history.

Rone: Website | Instagram
The Art Gallery of Western Australia: Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Rone / The Art Gallery of Western Australia.

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