Lot 30: Heather Straka Warrior oil on linen on board title

Heather Straka Warrior oil on linen on board title inscribed, signed and dated 2004 verso 520mm x 305mm At Elam School of Fine Arts, Auckland University, Heather Straka specialised in sculpture, moving into painting during 1997-99, when she assisted Julia Morison. Straka's blend of European, Asian and Pacific people and cultures is cheeky and brazen, raising valuable questions about appropriation. Maori chiefs and anonymous Maori sitters, issues of conflicting cultures and origins are a recurring theme her recent works. Straka paints with a masterly and exquisitely crafted skill, the early examples dating back to works in the early 1990's Porcelain series works, with there crackle varnish finishes. She sees a similar mix of cross-cultural influences she references on her works layering our society today. Heather Straka is represented by Anna Bibby, Auckland; Janne Land, Wellington; Jonathan Smart, Christchurch; Nadene Milne, Arrowtown and Milford Galleries, Queenstown and Dunedin. Jonathan Organ