Unseen: The Changing Collection, 18 December 2015 – 19 June 2016

Classical sensuality or in-your-face eroticism? As with many works by renowned British artist Sarah Lucas, NUD CYCLADIC 1 has it both ways. Combining humour and provocative imagery to challenge expectations about gender and sexuality, Lucas also references the stylised and strangely modern female figurines of Cycladic culture, which flourished during the Early Bronze Age on the islands of the central Aegean.

NUD CYCLADIC 1 entered the collection via multiple, compounded acts of generosity. On 22 February 2011, Lucas was in Auckland, installing an end-of-residency exhibition. On hearing of the devastating earthquake in Christchurch, she insisted that her share of the proceeds from exhibition sales go towards supporting the recovery of the arts in the city. Her Auckland and London gallerists agreed to donate their commissions to the same cause. Soon afterwards, in a third gesture of solidarity, Auckland collectors Andrew and Jenny Smith offered to purchase one of Lucas’s works for Christchurch Art Gallery – and we couldn't go past this one, with its cheeky nod to the sinuous sculptures of Auguste Rodin (1840–1917).

Perilous: Unheard Stories from the Collection, 16 August 2022 – 21 July 2024

Depending on your perspective, this curvy work by Sarah Lucas shifts between elegant Classical sensuality and in-your-face sexiness. It was inspired in part by the stylised and strangely modern female figurines of the Cycladic culture, which flourished on the islands of the central Aegean during the Early Bronze Age. Sarah made her tightly entwined sculpture from fluff-stuffed pantyhose, complete with associations of eroticism and control. It’s a cheeky invitation to consider society’s expectations about appearance, gender and sexuality.