‘‘Studio 9A’’, various artists

(Milford Galleries, Queenstown)

IN steel and corrugated iron, a bird spreads its wings, every muscle poised for movement, with a dynamism and grace that belies the solidity of its construction. Hannah Kidd has long been known for her incredible sculptures of birdlife, animals and people, taking scraps of metal and creating gorgeous creatures that soar from their origins like the proverbial phoenix from the ashes. There is a fascinating duality with all Kidd’s work, where her industrial materials exist alongside elegant lines and a warm empathy of subject matter. The artist makes no attempt to hide the construction of each piece, leaving bolts and joins and welding lines as a fundamental part of the aesthetic, but it never looks pieced together; rather, as if every small piece of iron was always destined for this beautiful final form.

Kidd’s sculptures are joined in the ‘‘Studio 9A’’ exhibition at Queenstown’s Milford Galleries by the works of multiple artists, including the very different birds of Tania Patterson, which