Johnny Romeo
SLAYMAKERS
New Paintings
Step into a neon-drenched, Technicolor dreamscape where Pop culture misfits and fearless daydream rebels shatter the limits and redefine the impossible. In Slaymakers, internationally acclaimed Australian Pop painter Johnny Romeo returns to Canberra with an electrifying collection of new paintings that celebrates the visionaries and Pop counter culturalists who are shaping the future—those who make waves and redefine what it means to succeed. Originally coined in the alternative culture of the 1980’s and popularised by Gen Z to describe someone who is performing exceptionally well, ‘slay’ is given a gloriously Kitsch Pop twist by Australia’s King of Pop as he transforms the term into an anthemic call to arms for the movers and shakers who dare to push the revolution into motion. Bursting with larger-than-life imagery, explosive colour arrangements, and undeniable swagger, Slaymakers is more than an exhibition, it is a powerful declaration by Australia’s leading Pop artist that to change the world, you can’t just play – you need to slay.
These days, to ‘slay’ has become shorthand for undeniable excellence, reserved for the bold individuals who radiate confidence and embrace their truth without apology. In Slaymakers, Johnny Romeo elevates this idea into a veritable way of life. For the artist, being a ‘slaymaker’ is more than just about being a dreamer, it’s about having the radical courage to be your true self and make your visions a reality. Throughout the series, Romeo has assembled a motley crew of misfits and mavericks, game-changers and trailblazers, all driven by a steadfast determination to push beyond the limits of everyday life and define their identity on their own terms. From classic Pop Art bombshells letting their hair down and discovering the thrill of the wide-open road, to marbled Renaissance icons embracing their inner superhero, the delightfully Kitsch Pop world of Slaymakers is full of rollicking rebels eager to break the rules and tear down the old order to bring forth a new dawn. Romeo masterfully captures these towering slaymakers with confident Kitsch Pop gusto, injecting his paintings with vivacious confectionary colour arrangements that burst from the canvas with the invigorating thrill of a sugar rush. Breathing new life into beloved Pop culture icons, the artist’s unapologetically Pop renditions of sci fi heroines and grunge rock nihilists bristle with an exhilarating punk rock attitude as they take up space on the canvas with joyous defiance.
Throughout Slaymakers, Johnny Romeo taps into a sublime feminine energy that lends the series a life-affirming resilience. Romeo humorously draws from the worlds of mythology, comic books and art history to create dazzling revisionist scenes of scuba diving Roman goddesses who no longer suffer for their beauty, and latex-clad felines finding sexual liberation through the lure of nighttime sweets. Empowered and independent, these strong women openly defy outdated gender norms and expectations, and fiercely resist being objectified or reduced to some man’s passive ‘muse’. At the same time, Romeo’s leading ladies radiate a sense of intuitiveness, empathy and magnetic creativity that harkens back to mystical notions of the feminine divine. By exploring female empowerment, Romeo’s paintings speak broadly to the role of ‘slaymakers’ today, as leaders unafraid to stand up to injustice and dismantle antiquated ways of thinking to forge new paths that give us the freedom to live authentically without any limits.
Rich in Pop culture iconography and layered with sharp cultural symbolism, Slaymakers is a high-spirited visual journey through myth, memory, and modern identity. Romeo channels the symbolism of the feminine divine, threading luminous lunar motifs throughout the series to explore cycles of fertility, rebirth, and transformation. Mysterious and majestic feline figures prowl the high seas and gothic candy shops, embodying the moon’s magnetic pull and echoing the power of ancient goddesses. Meanwhile, birds emerge as symbols of renewal and peace, delivering their messages of harmony to the disco and even the grave. Bridging the mystical with the nostalgic, Romeo dips into the iconography of his youth, using cartoons, vintage tunes, and childhood daydreams to invite viewers to reconnect with the boundless imagination of their inner child. In this Poptimistic universe where reality bends to belief, slaymakers don’t just exist, they shine.
Slaymakers is a riotous Kitsch Pop manifesto that boldly invites us to bust through the walls, rewrite the rules and live loudly, passionately and unapologetically. With his signature wit, dynamic candy-coloured palette and bold graphic style, Australia’s King of Pop reclaims icons, reboots myths, and redefines power to celebrate the dissidents, disruptors and divine outsiders who dare to slay their own way.
Opening Reception with Artist: Thursday 22nd May 2025 @ 6:00-8:00pm
Grainger Gallery, Building 3.3/1 Dairy Road, Fyshwick 2609, ACT, Australia. Ph: +61 404 769 843.
RSVP to attend the opening of Johnny Romeo’s SLAYMAKERS is essential.
RSVP to: art@graingergallery.com.au
Any inquiries regarding Johnny Romeo’s SLAYMAKERS can be made directly through Grainger Galleries (art@graingergallery.com.au) or by calling the gallery on +61 404 769 843.
Exhibition Dates: 22nd May – 8th June 2025
May 20, 2025