Heather Straka’s depiction of stained porcelain combines a sense of minimalism with decorative qualities. The immaculate green/grey surface of this work is enlivened with subtle suggestions of texture, such as cracks and fissures, which evokes a bodily presence. A contrast between the sacred and the profane is evident in her elevation of a prosaic subject, the urinal, to the status of high/fine art.

Straka gained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1994 from the Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland, and a Master’s of Fine Arts in 2000 from the University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts. Widely exhibited in New Zealand and internationally, Straka’s work is held in numerous private and public collections.