Lighthouse Foundation is proud to welcome Tyrone ‘Rone’ Wright, internationally renowned street artist and proud biological child of foster carers, as our newest ambassador.
In late February, Rone graciously supported our inaugural Chairman’s event by showcasing some of his incredible works, donating a stunning piece for auction and discussing his lived experience with foster care on stage alongside our Chairman, Len Warson.
Rone brings a deeply personal connection to the world of fostering. His lived experience as the biological child of foster parents gives him unique insight into how fostering can positively shape not only the lives of children in care but the entire household. Through his story, we hope to inspire more families, especially those with biological children, to consider the life-changing impact of becoming a foster carer.
Growing up with foster siblings: Rone’s personal connection to Foster Care
Born in Geelong, Victoria, Rone spent his childhood in a home full of love, creativity, and care. A home that also welcomed foster children in need.
His family’s fostering journey began when a vulnerable baby, with nowhere else to go, was brought to the local police station. Rone’s mother knew she had to act. She welcomed the baby into their home and never looked back. What began as a single act of compassion turned into a commitment to foster care.
Throughout Rone’s formative years, children from all walks of life came through his home. These experiences enriched his childhood and shaped his worldview, showing him first-hand how stability, love, and a safe home can help children heal from trauma. Today, Rone is a passionate advocate for improving the foster care system and supporting families who open their homes to children and young people in need.
Does fostering affect biological children?
This is one of the most common concerns prospective foster parents raise, and Rone’s story helps answer it. Far from feeling displaced, Rone says his upbringing was enhanced by the presence of foster children in his home.
Being surrounded by children with different backgrounds taught him empathy, resilience, and the value of giving back. For families wondering how fostering might affect their biological children, Rone offers a powerful perspective: fostering didn’t take anything away from his childhood, it added to it.
From the street to global icon: Rone’s rise into the art world
Rone began his creative journey in Melbourne’s skate parks, experimenting with stencil art in the early 2000s. What started as a passion project soon became a career. In 2004, Rone co-founded Everfresh Studio, a collaborative space for street artists that would help redefine Melbourne’s public art scene.
By 2011, Rone was exhibiting solo shows, starting with Backwoods Gallery in Collingwood. Over the years, he transitioned from traditional street art to immersive installations that merge painting, photography, and architectural storytelling.
Finding beauty in forgotten spaces
In 2017, Rone unveiled Omega, an immersive installation set inside an abandoned Melbourne home, the first of many large-scale experiential exhibitions that blur the lines between memory, place, and decay.
He followed this with Empire in 2019, transforming a derelict mansion in the Dandenong Ranges into a hauntingly beautiful tribute to lost grandeur. His most ambitious project to date, TIME, was created in secret at Flinders Street Station during Melbourne’s COVID lockdowns and opened to the public in 2022. The exhibition was later reimagined for the Art Gallery of Western Australia.
Why Rone’s story matters to future Foster Parents
As Lighthouse Foundation continues to support young people in out-of-home care, we know that sharing real stories can inspire real change. Rone’s experience as the biological child of foster carers offers a powerful reminder: fostering doesn’t just change the life of a child , it enriches the entire family.
“We are so thrilled to have Rone as part of the Lighthouse family and look forward to working together to raise awareness, break down stigma, and show more families that fostering is not only possible, it’s profoundly rewarding.” – Susan Barton AM
Considering becoming a foster carer?
Learn more about the process and how Lighthouse Foundation’s unique foster care model supports foster carers every step of the way.
Enquire here.
