Kirsty McLean

Kirsty McLean’s paintings, drawings and relief sculptures feature abstract figures and they communicate ideas about the human condition. The elements of rhythm, pattern and movement are emphasised in her compositions. McLean enjoys interrogating the boundary between 2D and 3D space and manipulating viewpoints; her interest in analytical cubism and mathematical tessellation are clearly evident in her work. The rigid, geometric forms of the figures contrast with the fascinating, organic shapes of their shadows and this duality symbolises the interplay between rationality and imagination, physical and metaphysical. Kirsty lived and worked in Japan and Borneo for 23 years and returned home to New Zealand in 2022 to focus on her Art. In 2023 she was an award winner in the Molly Morpeth Canaday Award, and was selected for two exhibitions: Puke Ariki’s ‘Home Work Maunga Auaha: Taranaki Art 2024’ and Percy Thomson Gallery’s ‘Yours Truly X’ .