Exciting show for Pataka

Niki Hastings- McFall loves Pataka and the arts scene in Porirua.

The award- winning artist is Friends of Pataka’s inaugural artist-in-residence, spending this week at the gallery. The selfdescribed ‘‘ late- bloomer’’ has created for 15 years, starting with jewellery, and has recently been working on large installations, using a wide range of materials.

Her retrospective exhibition In Flyte runs until June 16.

‘‘I’m a big fan of Porirua and I love this gallery, there’s a real community aspect to it and there’s always heaps going on. The whole city is an amazing, alive place, it hasn’t been sanitised to within an inch of its life. The people are great.’’

Auckland- based HastingsMcFall would love to have been the artist-in-residence for longer but ‘‘ animals to feed and bills to pay’’ means it is a short-term gig.

She says In Flyte is a chance to take a step back and look over what she has achieved. An army of helpers, including Friends of Pataka members, were helping to assemble the pieces last week.

Her past lei, lightbox and lamp series will be on display, with themes including the impact of Western civilisation in the Pacific.

Friends of Pataka’s Carolyn Wallace says they were excited to have someone of Hasting-McFall’s calibre as their first artist- inresidence. She hopes they can make it a twice-yearly venture. ‘‘We always had the vision for something like this when we began the Box Art show three years ago. We’ve moved on from that, it’s the Art Awards now, so it shows a real progression.’’