Rohan Wealleans

  • The Psychosis Chamber Of The Oracle
  • The Psychosis Chamber Of The Oracle
  • The Psychosis Chamber Of The Oracle
  • The Psychosis Chamber Of The Oracle
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The Psychosis Chamber of the Oracle, 2012 - 2019
Polystyrene, wood, fibreglass, found objects, sheepskin, crystals, paint.
2100 x 1250 x 2350mm

This work has been repurposed from a found object, a giant hollowed disembodied Kevin Smith head from the television show Xena: Warrior Princess. Rohan Wealleans has repainted the skin a silvery blue tone and the golden hair like a giant walnut. The door is hexagon shaped and has a crystal glass peep hole. By re-contextualising the found object, Wealleans gives it a new life as The Psychosis Chamber of The Oracle.

Known mostly as a painter, Rohan Wealleans’ celebrated technique of building up the surface of the paint creating stalactites or little pyramids and volcanoes of paint, then carving into the paint, is seen here creating a grotto inside the head. Psychosis Chamber of the Oracle is the largest work the artist has ever made.

This is an interactive work evoking fantasy and science-fiction. We invite you to enter through the porthole door and hang out with ‘The Oracle’. She lives inside, without eyes and a white scalloped painted face, holding a blue fortune ball. If you ask her a question, she will answer you. Crystals light the ceiling and sheepskin rugs lining the floor create a sense of comfort and lounging.

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The Psychosis Chamber Of The Oracle
The Psychosis Chamber Of The Oracle
The Psychosis Chamber Of The Oracle
The Psychosis Chamber Of The Oracle

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Artist Bio

Rohan Wealleans was born in 1977 in Invercargill, New Zealand. In 2000 he graduated with a BFA (Painting) from Elam School of Fine Arts, The University of Auckland and in 2003 he gained a MFA (Painting). He was the winner of the 15th Annual Wallace Art Award in 2006 and has exhibited widely in New Zealand and internationally since then, including the 17th Biennale of Sydney in 2010.

His work is held in prominent collections, including the James Wallace Collection, and he continues to push the boundaries of contemporary art through his innovative and thought-provoking approach.

Wealleans' practice is characterised by a deep exploration of the boundaries between two-dimensional and three-dimensional spaces, often involving the manipulation of materials to create dynamic, tactile works. His works have resonated with critics and audiences alike for their bold conceptual undertones and their ability to engage with complex ideas about culture, perception, and the body.