In her nineties, Jacqueline Fahey is an iconic and treasured figure in New Zealand art, who continues to push the boundaries of societal structures and politics within her work. Combining vivid portrayals of urban and suburban landscapes with figurative components, she makes observations of people and how we live and communicate. With the rich use of colour and intimate detail in her compositions, her work challenges the status quo and encourages new ways of looking.

She was married and a mother of three from the early stages of her painting career, when the stiflingly gendered society of 1950s and 1960s New Zealand saw Fahey adopt less conventional and at times unpopular subject matter to reflect and actively challenge the gender divide. At times, her deliberate use of perspectival space forces the viewer into the claustrophobia of the female experience. Yet embedded in her approach is a great level of affection for the women and relationships portrayed, evident in the careful detail bestowed on traditionally ‘female’ interests – clothing, interior textiles, bouquets. Later bodies of work went on show Fahey applying her distinctive flare to urban environments and characters, translating domestic politics to their manifestation in the public environment. Why are you doing this?, painted in 1998, is a clear example of this.

The painting features the words ‘New Venus Shop’ written across a shopfront window with a criss-crossed exterior. There is also signage describing available booths and what could be seen as the word ‘lingerie’ in orange text. The mannequins all wear various lingerie items from low-cut one pieces to a two-piece camisole set.

Inscribed ‘Fahey 98 K RD’, this painting is part of her K Rd series in which she painted various scenes of the iconic Karangahape Road during the time she had an artist studio there. As a cultural cornerstone of Auckland City, K Rd has a reputation for its eclecticism. It was, and still is, a hotspot for creatives. The figure depicted to the right is dressed in a mesh long-sleeve top with a black dress, black studded collar and her face painted in geisha-like make up. The figure is asking ‘Why [are you] doing this?’ and the woman in sunglasses (the artist herself) replies, ‘To find out why I am doing [this]’. Fahey has explained that the act of painting is a quest for answers for her. In doing the paintings, she seeks to understand why she is doing them herself.