Studio 9A (2021)

From Pat Hanly’s stained glass works to Neil Dawson’s focus upon the structural pattern and iridescence of bird feathers; from Anton Forde’s linking the Southern Cross and pounamu to Robert Jahnke’s plural images which travel across time and states of existence, Studio 9A is a celebration of summer and light, filled with narratives of the human spirit.

The fluxing atmospherics of Simon Edward’s drama-filled alpine landscapes contrast sharply with those of Darryn George. Part-idyll, stage-set and parable, George asks questions about why we are here and what do we value? Paul Dibble dances with the devil, and has a rat serenading its prey. Neil Adcock combines the visual tradition of the tiki with the translucence of pounamu, building distinct presences and personalities.

Joanna Braithwaite morphs human and animal into a humorous and savage allegory of our times. Yuki Kihara’s lenticular photographs reference the covid pandemic and the direct relationships between Samoa and Ngāti Kahungunu. Tania Patterson’s observant birds are imbued with idiosyncratic personality and accuracy. Peter James Smith sources the past and science to deliver the sublime sanctity of place.

Terry Stringer plays with form and perception, with dream and thought. Mark Mitchell, Ian Scott and Simon Clark position the chromatics of colour and the languages of pattern to cue human presence and culture.