In her new exhibition, Complexities, Ōhope artist Patricia Long turns to the form of the harakeke (flax) to explore what she calls the stripping away of “external trivia” that clutters modern life. Through this familiar yet profound plant, she invites viewers to rediscover “the essence and the quiet truth”.

Long’s show features 17 paintings of harakeke in all their simplicity and intricacy. It runs alongside Robyn Hughes’ Follow the River and Tapa Moana Nui at Te Kōputu a te Whanga a Toi.

For Long, harakeke serves both as metaphor and motif, a symbol of endurance, resilience, and connection, as she delves into the pressures and paradoxes of contemporary living.

“I think many people realise that what’s missing today isn’t things, but quality,” Long said. “We are more digitally linked than ever, yet so many feel lonely, overlooked, or have lost their sense of belonging.”

She reflects on how “instant everything” has eroded our patience for depth and meaning.

“I think about people chasing material things in life seeking instant gratification, but that doesn’t necessarily bring happiness,” she said.

“It feels as though society is ... chasing status, possessions or constant stimulation, but not fulfillment. The respect for other people, for quiet moments, for simple joys gets buried under all that striving.”

In Complexities, Long pares back the unnecessary, using form and colour to reclaim what has been lost.

“By stripping away what is excessive, I attempt to create space for meaning to breathe again, let go of clutter and distraction to rediscover what’s essential.”

In her work, minimalism isn’t emptiness, it is honesty, she observes.

Harakeke, Long notes, embodies strength, unity, balance, and resilience. "It tolerates its environment and sustains itself.”

Long’s exploration of simplicity continues themes from earlier exhibitions. Her 2022 series Too Busy depicted sunrises and sunsets she noticed while constantly on the move, an observation on how beauty often hides in plain sight. Before that, she created an abstract series focusing on people at work.

“I often use nature to express what I want to say,” she said. “When I have an idea, I think about how best to express it, whether through oil, watercolour, acrylic, or ink.”

Long, who began painting at age six, balanced her art with a teaching career before completing a Master of Fine Arts at Whitecliffe College in 2006 and becoming a full-time artist.

Her works have been widely exhibited and are held in collections around the world.

COMPLEXITIES: Patricia Long’s new exhibition, featuring a series of harakeke paintings, is now showing at the gallery at Te Kōputu a te Whanga a Toi. Photos: Kathy Forsyth E5710-00/01/02