ROA returned to Melbourne for a six week residency as he prepared for a solo exhibition at Backwoods Gallery. Unfortunately that exhibition was curtailed because of social distancing requirements due to Covid19. If you go to their website https://www.backwoods.gallery/exhibition/2020/4/5/roa-annihilation there's a beaut video showing Roa prepping for the exhibition. His monograph, 'Roa, Codex', was available from the gallery - it's a stunning survey of the artist's work.
Early in his residency, he painted this Honey Possum on the side of STREAT, a neat social enterprise based in a 150 year old building that was previously a bordello.
Renowned for his monumental black and white paintings of wildlife, ROA is a pseudonym of a Belgian street artist that has been leaving both accidental and intentional viewers in awe for years now. His hand painted, large scale and unique portrayals of rabbits, birds, rats, fish and other animals disquietly cohabit city streets, whilst his more disturbing images of skeletal or dead creatures directly reflect ROA’s pessimistic opinions of society.
Hunted by Tim Marschang. Pictures by Lou Chamberlin.