Chrysalis, 2022
Inspired by Las Meninas, the masterpiece of Diego Velázquez, Heimler & Proc situate the series within the relevant context. Retaining their signature language of bright colour, sharply delineated figures in dynamic, provocative poses, and lush New Zealand landscapes alive with birds, the artists capture the compositional play and theatrical complexity of Velázquez. Each canvas stages a seemingly spontaneous moment of Baroque abundance, rich and fertile.
The series can be read as a linear narrative centred on a young girl surrounded by fantastic, extravagant characters in scenes that appear unseemly for her age. Yet it is a story of awakening, of breaking the cocoon and finding one’s own voice.
Mirrors reflecting spectators, masked actors and illogical doublings destabilise the boundaries between reality and performance, creating a distinctive atmosphere of magical realism. The series Chrysalis marks a mature artistic statement — a revolution in which the protagonist takes control of both canvas and narrative before mirrors of infinite possibility.
Golden Girl (122cm × 153 cm)
Lost Kiwi (152 cm x 122cm)
The Chrysalis series unfolds in two distinct yet complementary strands. The New Zealand metaphysical works of 2022–2023 were never shown as a complete group, each painting having been acquired before any exhibition could take place. A more erotic body of work, created in 2023, was subsequently presented in Paris, revealing the series’ dual exploration of transformation, desire and spiritual renewal.
In the painting ‘Lost Kiwi’, the artists present a scene where dream and reality intertwine: New Zealand’s magical landscape of Mount Cook and native forest stands against the mirror, in which the tui becomes a red balloon and the mountain transforms into a modern city.
Referencing the myth of Leda, in which Zeus transforms into a swan, this psychological diptych explores the ambiguities of family and human emotions. The father figure, forever pursuing new feminine conquests, appears as the winged seducer, while his daughter reaches upward in a vain attempt to restrain him. Desire, power and vulnerability intertwine in a charged theatrical scene.
Swan’s act (120cm x 82cm)