Painter Patrick Hanly, New Zealand's premier colourist, is remembered as the artist and teacher who helped revitalise New Zealand art with his exuberant and adventurous work.

A keen sailor, anti-nuclear activist and anti-apartheid protestor throughout his career, Hanly expressed his social conscience through paintings that were variously political, reflective of the human condition, observational, often of family and friends and conveyed great joyfulness. After living in Europe, he was struck by Pacific New Zealand’s bright clear light, and his paintings, with their vivid, flat colour and sharp outlines reflected this vastly different environment.

Hanly drew inspiration from the surrounding lush gardens of his backyard
studio in Mount Eden, making beautiful paintings of gardens and still-lifes bathed in light.

Patrick Hanly (born 1932, Palmerston North, died 2004 Auckland) achieved a Diploma of Fine Arts from Canterbury University Ilam School of Fine Arts in 1952, and received the prestigious UK Turner Prize for landscape painting in 1953. Hanly and his wife, photographer Gil Hanly, attended the Chelsea School of Art, London in 1957. Hanly completed many large public murals in Auckland, and lectured in drawing at the School of Architecture, Auckland University and his works are held by major New Zealand institutions, with Te Papa Tongarewa holding 49 of his works.