Irreverent humour shines at saints exhibition

BROUGHT TO LIFE: Inspired art at the Create A Saint exhibition in the Yvonne Rust Gallery.

Northland artists can do miraculous stuff with some divine inspiration and plywood boxes.

Forty plain, same sized plywood boxes were given to local artists by Quarry Arts Centre, with the instruction to "create a saint".

The iconic results are imaginative and provoking, with artists transforming their boxes into a host of settings, shrines and stages, all housing weird and wonderful objects and characters.

"I love this theme as it transposes so many ideas, histories and landscapes," said event co-ordinator and participating Saint Creator, Hayley Clark.

Clark's creation exposes the history of "St Deluca, Patron Saint of the Perfect Coffee. Feast Day, at least three times a day", and shows the face of St Deluca appearing from the bottom of a mounted coffee cup.

There's St Bertram Hoppy, Patron Saint of Mangroves appearing next to St Stanley whose make-up is a clear nod to the ongoing Hundertwasser-in-Whangarei debate.

As well as trinkets, figurines and embellished walls, each saint comes with its own respective blurb about their unique place in history. Although some are based on real saints, such as an exquisite gauche interpretation of St Frances of Assisi by Adrienne Dietrich, many are completely fictional and rely heavily on a good sense of humour.

"I hear a lot of laughs from the gallery as people make their way around," arts co-ordinator Katherine McDermid-Smith said.

"People are coming back again and again to spend more time reading the stories and investigating the intricacies of the boxes."

Incorporating a whole host of mediums, including woven plastic, ceramic heads, found objects and LED lights, there is a lot to see. The Quarry Arts Centre hosts a range of group shows throughout the year, including the Great Plate annual fundraiser, the Day of the Dead celebration and the Laboritorium.

-Create A Saint opened on St Valentine's Day and will run until Tuesday, March 3.