Bendigo artist and educator Shaun Burdon unveiled three sculptures, four relief paintings and two oils on canvas at an invitation-only preview last night, before today's public launch.
The Otago Polytechnic lecturer in creative studies said he used shop mannequin torsos in some of his pieces because "the human form is the most important; it's the vehicle of our consciousness. I've altered them; there's no human faces, so they're universal.
"It's the human condition - birth, life and death and I wanted to keep it that simple."
Burdon said he chose to use materials which were readily available near his rural home.
For Nest, he fashioned barbed wire to create a nest for a 24-carat gold gilded ostrich egg. Memento Mori features a young merino lamb skull oil painted ultra marine, with gold leaf applied and mounted on a ceramic platter.
"I have assembled them in various ways, combining my fascination with the antique, the primitive, drawing and applying paint," he said.
"Gold is used to represent the pure energy of life."
Artbay Gallery owner Pauline Bianchi said it was a privilege to be hosting such a prestigious art exhibition.
"For art lovers, his name is celebrated in artistic corners throughout New Zealand, as an artist, art teacher and educator.
"The colour work is rich and vibrant and the subject of his paintings is always thought-provoking.
"The work in this exhibition continues Shaun's exploration of the human figure as a medium for expressing universal aspects of the human condition."
The pieces range in price from $2000 to $8000.
• Heavenly Bodies runs until May 20.
