b. 1977
Rohan Weallean's seething organic forms with their marbled psychadelic surfaces have made a truly original impression on the New Zealand art scene. Described by curator Robert Leonard as 'pornographic abstraction', Rohan's otherworldly creations traverse the boundary between painting and sculpture, and the figurative and the abstract.
It is difficult to ignore the maniacal energy Rohan invests in the creation of his works. Rohan's signature technique involves layers and layers of paint which is then carved, sliced and pinned back to reveal a stratified candy interior. It is his balance between the immature and the highly sophisticated that has caught the attention of galleries and collectors throughout New Zealand and Australia, and propelled Rohan to the top of everyone’s list.
Rohan graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from the Elam School of Fine Art in 2003 and was quickly snapped up for major exhibitions and collections, including the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, the Auckland Art Gallery and the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery. . In 2005 he won the Waikato Art Award and was selected as the Frances Hodgkins Fellow. This fellowship culminated in a solo exhibition and catalogue produced by the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. In 2006 he was the paramount winner of the Wallace Art Award and in 2007, selected for inclusion in the national survey show Prospect 2007 at Wellington City Gallery.