Wealleans considers his canvases as “paint farms” that form the base material in all of his work. He then violates the surface by gouging out the paint to reveal the hidden textures below. These pieces of paint are collected to later find their own significance as the material elements of his sculptural work and drawings. 

Exhibition Dates: 9 October – 8 November 2014

Rohan Wealleans’s fifth solo show at Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Dark White Light Black, offers an eclectic collection of horror artefacts borne from an imagined universe.

Wealleans considers his canvases as “paint farms” that form the base material in all of his work. He then violates the surface by gouging out the paint to reveal the hidden textures below. These pieces of paint are collected to later find their own significance as the material elements of his sculptural work and drawings. Inspired by the traditional techniques of Aboriginal dot painting, Wealleans uses these sculptural dots of paint by grafting them onto each other as well as on the surface of the paper. The paint farm canvases themselves are perceived as a bird's eye view of a foreign world. The landscape pitted and scarred in a vast expanse of craters: evidence of a visual design that resembles the formal arrangement of alien crop circles and markings.

The curiosity of Wealleans’s work is derived from an ambiguity that results in a multitude of possible interpretations and responses. Elements of both beauty and the beast encompass the same body leading to a simultaneous sense of repulsion and attraction. There is no black or white, simply our perception of the grey zone that exists between these two tonal extremes. Wealleans’s inclusion of found objects invokes a sense of nostalgia for a form of horror that was prevalent in the films and characters from the 60s and 70s. His work is a response to the desensitisation of today's masses, constantly exposed to ultra-violence in films, television and on the Internet. The process by which he manipulates and distorts a diverse collection of pop horror references from Hitchcock’s The Birds via Mickey Mouse to Aliens, allows him to enact the role of Doctor Frankenstein and explore that which is lurking beneath the surface. 

—Alex Robinson, 2014


Rohan Wealleans (b. 1977) completed a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from The Elam School of Fine Arts University of Auckland in 2003 and in the same year won the Waikato Art Prize. In 2006 he was the winner of the 15th Annual Wallace Art Award. Since 2001, Wealleans has exhibited regularly both in New Zealand and internationally. This year Rohan presented works at the Dowse Museum of Art in Wellington, the Wunderruma in Munich, Germany and BOS, New York, USA. Just last year Rohan exhibited in ‘Future Primitive’ at the Heide Museum of Art, Melbourne, Australia as well as a collaborative exhibition with Sarah Lucas at Contemporary Fine Arts in Berlin and C24 Gallery in New York. In 2012 Rohan exhibited solo shows at PS Project space in Amsterdam, Netherlands and at City Gallery in Wellington with a solo show titled, Apocalyptic Intuition. In 2010 David Elliot selected him for the ‘17th Biennale of Sydney: The Beauty of Distance, Songs of Survival in a Precarious Age’ (2010). Wealleans’ work was included in the ‘6th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art’ at the Queensland Art Gallery (2009). Other important group exhibitions include: ‘Lost and Found: An Archaeology of the Present’ at the TarraWarra Museum of Art Healesville and ‘Just Painting’ at the Auckland Art Gallery, Auckland (2007). In 2008, Wealleans was selected by Rachel Kent for ‘Best of Discovery’ at the Sh Contemporary, Shanghai, China. The Auckland Art Gallery, Te Papa Tongarewa, The Museum of New Zealand, Wellington, The Govett-Brewster Gallery, New Plymouth and the Chartwell Collection as well as private collections in Australia and New Zealand hold Wealleans’ work. 

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Rohan Wealleans City of Rose Boogie Woogie, 2014; paint on canvas; 100 x 100 x 7 cm; enquire
City of Rose Boogie Woogie, 2014
paint on canvas
100 x 100 x 7 cm
Rohan Wealleans Seed City Boogie Woogie, 2014; paint on canvas; 100 x 100 x 7 cm; enquire
Seed City Boogie Woogie, 2014
paint on canvas
100 x 100 x 7 cm
Rohan Wealleans Spider Woman, 2014; paint on canvas; 200 x 210 cm; enquire
Spider Woman, 2014
paint on canvas
200 x 210 cm
Rohan Wealleans White Farm, 2014; paint on canvas; 200 x 210 cm; enquire
White Farm, 2014
paint on canvas
200 x 210 cm
Rohan Wealleans Dark Farm, 2014; paint on canvas; 147 x 117.5 cm; enquire
Dark Farm, 2014
paint on canvas
147 x 117.5 cm
Rohan Wealleans Flesh Grab, 2014; paint on canvas; 147 x 117.5 cm; enquire
Flesh Grab, 2014
paint on canvas
147 x 117.5 cm
Rohan Wealleans Kang Diamond, 2014; paint on canvas; 200 x 210 cm; enquire
Kang Diamond, 2014
paint on canvas
200 x 210 cm
Rohan Wealleans Hole, 2014; paint on paper; 42 x 29.5 cm; enquire
Hole, 2014
paint on paper
42 x 29.5 cm
Rohan Wealleans Volcano Islands, 2014; paint on paper; 42 x 29.5 cm; enquire
Volcano Islands, 2014
paint on paper
42 x 29.5 cm
Rohan Wealleans White Man Meets Bigfoot, 2014; paint on paper; 42 x 29.5 cm; enquire
White Man Meets Bigfoot, 2014
paint on paper
42 x 29.5 cm
Rohan Wealleans The Timber Treasure Trail, 2014; paint on paper; 42 x 29.5 cm; enquire
The Timber Treasure Trail, 2014
paint on paper
42 x 29.5 cm
Rohan Wealleans Curly Whirly Shirly Sculpture, 2014; paint on paper, found lenticular print; 29.5 x 21 cm; enquire
Curly Whirly Shirly Sculpture, 2014
paint on paper, found lenticular print
29.5 x 21 cm
Rohan Wealleans Nightmare Sculpture 8, 2014; paint on paper, found hologram; 29.5 x 21 cm; enquire
Nightmare Sculpture 8, 2014
paint on paper, found hologram
29.5 x 21 cm
Rohan Wealleans Psycho White Man Bird Swirl Lollypop, 2014; paint on paper, found lenticular print; 29.5 x 21 cm; enquire
Psycho White Man Bird Swirl Lollypop, 2014
paint on paper, found lenticular print
29.5 x 21 cm
Rohan Wealleans In One Ear, 2014; paint on paper, found lenticular print; 29.5 x 21 cm; enquire
In One Ear, 2014
paint on paper, found lenticular print
29.5 x 21 cm
Rohan Wealleans Alien Head Sculpture Squiggle, 2014; paint on paper, found lenticular print; 29.5 x 21 cm; enquire
Alien Head Sculpture Squiggle, 2014
paint on paper, found lenticular print
29.5 x 21 cm
Rohan Wealleans Jelly Baby Time, 2014; paint on paper, found lenticular print; 29.5 x 21 cm; enquire
Jelly Baby Time, 2014
paint on paper, found lenticular print
29.5 x 21 cm
Rohan Wealleans 3d aboriginal painting model horror-gami  above us        , 2014; paint, gouache and polystyrene on original pencil and inks; 47 x 35.5 x 10 cm; enquire
3d aboriginal painting model horror-gami above us , 2014
paint, gouache and polystyrene on original pencil and inks
47 x 35.5 x 10 cm
Rohan Wealleans 3d aboriginal painting model horror-gami  Star Finger     , 2014; paint, gouache and polystyrene on original pencil and inks; 47 x 35.5 x 10 cm; enquire
3d aboriginal painting model horror-gami Star Finger , 2014
paint, gouache and polystyrene on original pencil and inks
47 x 35.5 x 10 cm
Rohan Wealleans 3d aboriginal painting model horror-gami  Kateesh, 2014; paint, gouache and polystyrene on original pencil and inks; 47 x 35.5 x 10 cm; enquire
3d aboriginal painting model horror-gami Kateesh, 2014
paint, gouache and polystyrene on original pencil and inks
47 x 35.5 x 10 cm
Rohan Wealleans 3d aboriginal painting model horror-gami   Hulk face, 2014; paint, gouache and polystyrene on original pencil and inks; 47 x 35.5 x 10 cm; enquire
3d aboriginal painting model horror-gami Hulk face, 2014
paint, gouache and polystyrene on original pencil and inks
47 x 35.5 x 10 cm
Rohan Wealleans 3d aboriginal painting model horror-gami  Man Thing, 2014; paint, gouache and polystyrene on original pencil and inks; 47 x 35.5 x 10 cm; enquire
3d aboriginal painting model horror-gami Man Thing, 2014
paint, gouache and polystyrene on original pencil and inks
47 x 35.5 x 10 cm
Rohan Wealleans 3d aboriginal painting model horror-gami  Magma, 2014; paint, gouache and polystyrene on original pencil and inks; 36 x 27 x 11.5 cm; enquire
3d aboriginal painting model horror-gami Magma, 2014
paint, gouache and polystyrene on original pencil and inks
36 x 27 x 11.5 cm
Rohan Wealleans 3d Aboriginal Painting Model, 2014; paint and polystrene on paper; 76 x 59 x 11.5 cm; enquire
3d Aboriginal Painting Model, 2014
paint and polystrene on paper
76 x 59 x 11.5 cm
Rohan Wealleans It lives to destroy, 2014; paint and polystyrene on trading cards; 17 x 13.8 x 9 cm; enquire
It lives to destroy, 2014
paint and polystyrene on trading cards
17 x 13.8 x 9 cm
Rohan Wealleans Living Death, 2014; paint and polystyrene on trading cards; 17 x 13.8 x 9 cm; enquire
Living Death, 2014
paint and polystyrene on trading cards
17 x 13.8 x 9 cm
Rohan Wealleans Culture Shock for Buck, 2014; paint and polystyrene on trading cards; 17 x 13.8 x 9 cm; enquire
Culture Shock for Buck, 2014
paint and polystyrene on trading cards
17 x 13.8 x 9 cm
Rohan Wealleans Horrendous Sights!, 2014; paint and polystyrene on trading cards; 17 x 13.8 x 9 cm; enquire
Horrendous Sights!, 2014
paint and polystyrene on trading cards
17 x 13.8 x 9 cm
Rohan Wealleans At Death's Door, 2014; paint and polystyrene on trading cards; 17 x 13.8 x 9 cm; enquire
At Death's Door, 2014
paint and polystyrene on trading cards
17 x 13.8 x 9 cm
Rohan Wealleans Don't Look Behind You Lafleur!, 2014; paint and polystyrene on trading cards; 17 x 13.8 x 9 cm; enquire
Don't Look Behind You Lafleur!, 2014
paint and polystyrene on trading cards
17 x 13.8 x 9 cm
Rohan Wealleans Blade attack I, 2014; paint and polystyrene on trading cards; 17 x 13.8 x 9 cm; enquire
Blade attack I, 2014
paint and polystyrene on trading cards
17 x 13.8 x 9 cm
Rohan Wealleans Space: 1999 (1), 2014; paint and polystyrene on trading cards; 17 x 13.8 x 9 cm; enquire
Space: 1999 (1), 2014
paint and polystyrene on trading cards
17 x 13.8 x 9 cm
Rohan Wealleans Blade attack II, 2014; paint and polystyrene on trading cards; 17 x 13.8 x 9 cm; enquire
Blade attack II, 2014
paint and polystyrene on trading cards
17 x 13.8 x 9 cm
Rohan Wealleans Future, 2014; paint and polystyrene on trading cards; 13.8 x 17 x 9 cm; enquire
Future, 2014
paint and polystyrene on trading cards
13.8 x 17 x 9 cm
Rohan Wealleans Explorers... or invaders?, 2014; paint and polystyrene on trading cards; 13.8 x 17 x 9 cm; enquire
Explorers... or invaders?, 2014
paint and polystyrene on trading cards
13.8 x 17 x 9 cm
Rohan Wealleans Superman II: A Very Special Mission, 2014; paint and polystyrene on trading cards; 13.8 x 17 x 9 cm; enquire
Superman II: A Very Special Mission, 2014
paint and polystyrene on trading cards
13.8 x 17 x 9 cm
Rohan Wealleans Earth Scientists Await The Aliens, 2014; paint and polystyrene on trading cards; 13.8 x 17 x 9 cm; enquire
Earth Scientists Await The Aliens, 2014
paint and polystyrene on trading cards
13.8 x 17 x 9 cm
Rohan Wealleans The mothership appears!, 2014; paint and polystyrene on trading cards; 13.8 x 17 x 9 cm; enquire
The mothership appears!, 2014
paint and polystyrene on trading cards
13.8 x 17 x 9 cm
Rohan Wealleans look out, 2014; paint and polystyrene on trading cards; 13.8 x 17 x 9 cm; enquire
look out, 2014
paint and polystyrene on trading cards
13.8 x 17 x 9 cm
Rohan Wealleans Destination: The Black Hole, 2014; paint and polystyrene on trading cards; 13.8 x 17 x 9 cm; enquire
Destination: The Black Hole, 2014
paint and polystyrene on trading cards
13.8 x 17 x 9 cm
Rohan Wealleans Brain Probe, 2014; paint and polystyrene on trading cards; 13.8 x 17 x 9 cm; enquire
Brain Probe, 2014
paint and polystyrene on trading cards
13.8 x 17 x 9 cm
Rohan Wealleans Outer Limits, 2014; super sculpy, paint; 37 x 33 x 10 cm; enquire
Outer Limits, 2014
super sculpy, paint
37 x 33 x 10 cm
Rohan Wealleans Wand, 2014; super sculpy, paint; 45 x 29 x 19 cm; enquire
Wand, 2014
super sculpy, paint
45 x 29 x 19 cm
Rohan Wealleans Beast Shell, 2014; paint, vampire teeth; 15 x 34 x 25 cm; enquire
Beast Shell, 2014
paint, vampire teeth
15 x 34 x 25 cm