Murals by Rone in Melbourne
Rone, whose real name is Tyrone Wright, is one of Australia's most internationally recognised street artists. Born in Geelong and based in Melbourne, he is particularly famous for his enormous, photorealistic portraits of women painted on buildings, walls and other urban surfaces.
Rone began his street art career in the early 2000s and became a prominent member of Melbourne's street art community. His work has since appeared in cities around the world, including London, New York, Miami, Berlin, Tokyo and Paris.
Many of his best-known murals feature beautiful, contemplative female faces set against weathered walls and deteriorating buildings. The contrast between beauty and decay is a recurring theme in his work, highlighting the temporary nature of street art and the changing urban landscape.
Rone has also created major immersive art installations, including Empire at the Burnham Beeches mansion in the Dandenong Ranges and TIME on the disused third floor of Flinders Street Station.
The following is a collection of documented murals by Rone in Melbourne. Some older artworks may have been removed, painted over or affected by building redevelopment. The Historical Murals and Temporary Installations section includes important works which can no longer be viewed in their original form.
Collingwood
International Womens Day Mural by Rone (2016)
A large mural depicting three women who have made significant contributions to Melbourne's artistic community.
The portraits feature Stanislava Pinchuk, known as Miso, who creates intricate artworks using pinpricks on paper; Bianca Chang, a sculptor and paper artist; and Hana Davies, a photographer who works with film.
Commissioned to celebrate International Womens Day on 8 March 2016, the mural was painted on the exterior of the former office of Victorian Planning Minister and Member for Richmond Richard Wynne.
The project was organised through a collaboration involving the Victorian Government, City of Yarra and Juddy Roller.
Location: Cnr Smith Street and Peel Street, Collingwood
Docklands
Edge of Your Seat Mural by Rone (2015)
An enormous mural measuring approximately 8 metres high and 20 metres wide, featuring two female Australian Rules football supporters. The artwork celebrates Melbourne's passion for sport and was commissioned for the M Docklands building opposite Docklands Stadium, now known as Marvel Stadium.
The mural took more than 200 hours to complete. Rather than depicting male football players, Rone chose to celebrate the enthusiasm and passion of female supporters.
Location: M Docklands building, 679 La Trobe Street, Docklands
Collins Square Laneway Portraits by Rone
Three murals depicting Zhoe Trotter, a frequent subject of Rone's portrait paintings. The portraits were painted on textured tiled and rendered surfaces in a covered laneway connecting Brentani Way and Batmans Hill Drive.
The different wall surfaces give each portrait a distinctive appearance, with the weathered and cracked backgrounds complementing Rone's characteristic style.
Location: Covered laneway between Brentani Way and Batmans Hill Drive, behind Collins Square, 727 Collins Street, Docklands
Fitzroy
Fitzroy Faces Mural by Rone, Adnate, Sofles, Heesco, Dvate, Cam Scale and Jason Parker (2016)
A huge collaborative mural extending approximately 50 metres along the rear wall of Fry's Storage. Seven prominent Australian street artists each created a portrait-based section of the mural.
The project was organised by Juddy Roller, with each artist given creative freedom to paint their section. The portraits depict people from different backgrounds, including community members, artists, skateboarders and family members.
Location: Rear of Fry's Storage, 142 Cecil Street, Fitzroy
Three Female Faces Mural by Rone
A large mural depicting three repeated female portraits looking upwards. The artwork was painted on a wall in Argyle Street, near Gore Street.
The mural has been documented as partially lost, with the lower section of the original artwork no longer visible. Its current condition should be checked before visiting.
Location: Argyle Street, near Gore Street, Fitzroy
Hawthorn
Rone Female Portrait Mural by Rone
A striking, large-scale portrait of a woman painted on the rear wall of the historic former Commercial Bank of Australia building at the corner of Burwood Road and Glenferrie Road. The building was designed by architect E.G. Kilburn in 1891 and is now occupied by The Kilburn whisky and cocktail bar and Open Windows.
The mural was commissioned by Open Windows and features Rone's characteristic realistic portraiture.
Location: Rear of The Kilburn, 348 Burwood Road, Cnr Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn
Melbourne CBD
Upper West Side Street Art Precinct Murals by Rone (2017)
Rone contributed large photorealistic female portraits to Melbourne's first officially designated street art precinct, launched in December 2017.
The project transformed the walls of a former electrical substation into a major public art attraction. Curated by Juddy Roller, the precinct also features works by artists including Adnate, Dvate and Smug.
Location: Upper West Side Street Art Precinct, off Spencer Street, between Little Bourke Street and Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Moorabbin
Monochromatic Faces by Rone
A striking mural featuring three female faces rendered in shades of blue. The portraits demonstrate Rone's distinctive use of realistic facial details and expression.
Location: Clearlight Shows, 5 Horscroft Place, Moorabbin
Historical Murals and Temporary Installations
The following works are important examples of Rone's Melbourne street art, but were associated with temporary exhibitions or buildings that have since changed or been redeveloped. They should be regarded as historical artworks rather than guaranteed viewing locations.
Alphington
The Alpha Project by Rone
A temporary art project created within the former Alphington Paper Mills site, featuring portraits painted on the walls of the disused industrial buildings.
The project explored the relationship between the beauty of Rone's portraits and the deteriorating industrial surroundings. It preceded his Omega Project at the adjoining YarraBend redevelopment site.
Former Location: Alphington Paper Mills, Heidelberg Road, Alphington
The Omega Project by Rone (2017)
A temporary art installation created inside an abandoned Federation-era weatherboard house that was scheduled for demolition as part of the YarraBend redevelopment.
Rone transformed the interior of the house with a series of large female portraits painted directly onto the walls. Working with interior stylist Carly Spooner, he furnished the rooms to resemble an Australian suburban home from the mid-20th century, with old furniture, damaged walls, dusty surfaces and other signs of decay.
The installation was open to visitors for a short period in July 2017 before the house was demolished. The project explored nostalgia, memory, beauty and the disappearance of older suburban homes.
Former Location: 28 Parkview Road, Alphington
Collingwood
Collingwood Power Substation Mural by Rone, Adnate, Guido van Helten, Askew and Mayonaize (2015)
An extensive collaborative mural covering the exterior walls of the CitiPower electrical substation. The artwork incorporated large monochromatic portraits of women together with graffiti lettering and other decorative elements.
Rone contributed one of the portraits, working alongside several other prominent Australian and international street artists. The artists combined their individual contributions into a largely black, white and grey composition.
The mural was subsequently heavily covered by graffiti. By November 2023, most of the original artwork had been obliterated.
Former Location: CitiPower Substation, 64 Easey Street, Cnr Wellington Street, Collingwood
Rone and Meggs Collaboration by Rone and Meggs (2012)
A large collaborative mural featuring a female portrait by Rone based on a photograph of model Sophie Van Den Akker taken by photographer Tony Mott.
The artwork was created with fellow Melbourne street artist Meggs in November 2012.
Former Location: Stanley Street, Collingwood
GIF-ITI Mural by Rone and INSA (2013)
A collaborative artwork combining Rone's female portrait imagery with the animated mural technique developed by British artist INSA.
The artists repeatedly painted and photographed the wall, changing elements between photographs. When the images were combined into an animated GIF, the artwork appeared to move.
The mural was created for the Melbourne Carbon Festival in April 2013.
Former Location: Peel Street, Collingwood
Fitzroy
Unstoppable Mural by Rone and Wonderlust (2013)
A collaborative mural featuring the large word "Unstoppable", created by Rone and Wonderlust in April 2013.
The artwork was a departure from Rone's usual large female portraits, using prominent lettering as the central element.
Former Location: Cnr Rose Street and Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Empty - Star Lyric Theatre Installation by Rone (2016)
A temporary art exhibition staged inside the abandoned Star Lyric Theatre in Fitzroy shortly before the building was demolished.
Rone painted enormous portraits of women directly onto the deteriorating interior walls. The exhibition explored the beauty of the portraits alongside the physical decay of the former theatre, emphasising the temporary nature of both the artworks and the building.
Former Location: Former Star Lyric Theatre, Fitzroy
Melbourne CBD
L'inconnue de la Rue (Unknown Girl in the Street) Mural by Rone (2014)
An enormous portrait of Australian model Teresa Oman, painted approximately eight storeys high on the exterior of a building at the eastern end of Collins Street.
The artwork was commissioned by QIC Global Real Estate for the Rue & Co dining precinct. Rone worked for seven days using an elevated platform to complete the mural, which was one of his largest projects at the time.
The mural became a prominent feature of Melbourne's eastern CBD before subsequent redevelopment changed the site.
Former Location: Rue & Co, 80 Collins Street, near Exhibition Street, Melbourne
Lumen Murals and Art Installation by Rone (2014)
A temporary exhibition featuring eleven large-scale portraits painted inside and outside a disused office building. The project included a 12-metre-high mural on the building's ventilation tower.
Lumen, meaning daylight, was inspired by Rone's experiences in cities affected by disasters, crime and urban decline. The exhibition explored hope and resilience in places experiencing difficult circumstances.
Lighting designer John McKissock collaborated on the installation, illuminating the portraits against the dark and deteriorating interiors of the abandoned building.
Former Location: 109 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
Australian Muses of Jean Paul Gaultier Mural by Rone (2014)
An 80-metre mural commissioned by the National Gallery of Victoria for the exhibition The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk.
The artwork depicted Australian women associated with the French fashion designer. Rone completed the mural over seven days, assisted by artists Callum Preston and Jason Parker.
The mural formed part of the temporary exhibition program at the National Gallery of Victoria.
Former Location: National Gallery of Victoria, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
Art Tram by Rone (2014)
Rone was one of the artists commissioned to decorate a Melbourne tram as part of the Melbourne Festival's Art Trams program.
The temporary mobile artwork brought Rone's distinctive portrait imagery into Melbourne's public transport network.
Former Location: Melbourne tram network
Once Bitten Twice Shy Mural by Rone, Sofles, Meggs, Wonderlust, Roachi and Numskull (2013)
A large collaborative mural created for Australia Day in January 2013. The artwork incorporated the words "Once Bitten Twice Shy" and contributions from six prominent street artists.
The artists painted the work together in Hosier Lane, one of Melbourne's best-known street art locations.
Former Location: Hosier Lane, Melbourne
Artcade Installation by Rone (2020)
Rone participated in Artcade, a temporary public art exhibition developed by Juddy Roller within the West Side Place development.
His installation transformed an interior space using imagery and design inspired by his immersive 2019 exhibition Empire. Other participating artists included Adnate, Reko Rennie, Lisa King, George Rose, Meggs and Mayonaize.
Former Location: West Side Place, Spencer Street, Melbourne
Southbank
NGV Studio Mural by Rone (2011)
Rone created a 25-metre-long commissioned wall for NGV Studio, which was located at Federation Square before later gallery projects.
The commission was an early example of Melbourne's major cultural institutions recognising and exhibiting street art.
Former Location: NGV Studio, Federation Square, Melbourne
Other Notable Rone Artworks in Victoria
Benalla
Wall to Wall Street Art Mural by Rone (2015)
Rone participated in the inaugural Wall to Wall Street Art Festival in Benalla, creating a large portrait of local resident Darcy Spinks from Hides Bakery.
The artwork formed part of a series of portraits created on the former SEC building, alongside murals by Adnate and Guido van Helten.
Location: Former SEC building, near Bridge Street, Benalla (probably no longer there)
Female Portrait Mural by Rone
A large monochromatic portrait showing the side profile of a woman.
Location: 85 Nunn Street, Benalla
Female Portrait Mural by Rone
A second female portrait in side profile, painted at the same address.
Location: 85 Nunn Street, Benalla
Fyansford
Fyansford Silos by Rone (2017)
Rone created enormous portraits on the former cement silos at Fyansford, near Geelong. The artworks were subsequently lost when the structures were demolished.
Former Location: Fyansford, near Geelong
Lascelles
Lascelles Silo Art by Rone (2017)
Two enormous portraits painted on GrainCorp silos depicting local farming couple Geoff and Merrilyn Horman, whose family has lived and farmed in the Lascelles district for four generations.
The murals were created over approximately two weeks using muted colours that blend with the original concrete surfaces of the 1939 silos.
Location: 5 Wychunga Street, Lascelles
Web Links
→ Rone - Official Website
