Gavin Hurley’s portraits substantiate, interfere and play with the role of portraiture as a tool for the crafting and performance of public personae.

Working across painting and collage, Hurley dissects various historical characters who were held up as ideal exemplars of masculinity during his time growing up in late 20th century New Zealand.

Through a parade of identikit performance, portraits of boys and young men assume the guise of historical figures, articulating a sense of teenage insecurity and self-critique.

As our country, too, continues to grow up, and the rose-tinted glasses come off, Hurley takes us on a journey to examine the good, the bad, and the nuance in the figures who have historically been lauded through portraiture. The complexity that comes from the projection of judgement through history and popular culture, is illuminated through his unique deadpan and flatly rendered style.