Weekdays: 10:00am – 4:00pm
Weekends: 10:00am – 2:00pm
Public Holidays: 10:00am – 2:00pm

Cost:
Entry to the art gallery is free.

Sheelagh McHaffie is a Christchurch-based artist known for her striking black and white figurative pastel works that explore the beauty and complexity of human expression. Her drawings capture fleeting moments of emotion — quiet introspection, vulnerability, strength — distilled through bold tonal contrasts and delicate linework.

Working primarily in soft pastel and charcoal, Sheelagh’s practice embraces the immediacy and intimacy of drawing. Each piece is a study of light and gesture, where form and feeling are inseparable. She draws inspiration from human stories, personal reflection, and the quiet poetry of everyday life. Her figures often emerge from dark, moody backgrounds, evoking a sense of depth and stillness that invites contemplation.

Sheelagh’s journey as an artist has been shaped by a lifelong fascination with people and the unspoken energy they carry. A self-taught creative with a background in design and visual storytelling, she approaches each work with an intuitive process — layering, erasing, and reworking until the subject’s essence is revealed.

Her work has been exhibited in group shows and live art events, including Art Battle New Zealand, where her dramatic, expressive style and emotional resonance have captured audience attention. She continues to refine her craft, pushing the boundaries of monochromatic form and exploring how contrast can speak to human duality — light and shadow, strength and fragility, presence and absence.

Through her art, Sheelagh aims to connect deeply with viewers — not through perfection, but through honesty. Each piece offers a moment of stillness and recognition, a quiet reminder of what it means to feel.

Sheelagh is joined by Queenstown-born artist Ira Mitchell who is based in the historic centre arts centre of Christchurch, creating landscapes inspired by the glacial cut forms and bold colours of New Zealand. Her work is informed by NZ artist Robin White and Rita Angus. She has shown and attended art residencies international and in NZ. Her training is in Fine arts and crafts education.