Te Anau-based artist Gordon Kane hosted a small gathering of friends on Sunday, as he cut the ribbon on a tiny art gallery in his back garden.

Mr Kane came to Te Anau in 1973 on the wave of venison recovery. He was involved in every facet of this industry from hunting on foot, working as helicopter ground support, helicopter shooter, live deer recovery to becoming a helicopter pilot. His early art reflects this.

He says he’d shown interest in art and painting from a very young age and continued to paint through his whole life. His preferred medium is oil on canvas.

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He used to have an art gallery and studio on the lake front that some locals might remember for its front being covered in words painted on in different languages. When the building was about to be demolished, Mr Kane removed the pained panels with help from his grandchildren and installed them on the fence at his home at 9 Duncan Street. 

The new gallery, in a 10m2 shed in his garden, was opened by Joelle Nicholson of Manapouri, a patron and close friend of Mr Kane who owns 132 of his paintings. 

The gallery will be open to the public by appointment only. Call 027 4755 995.

Artist Gordon Kane, with his paintings in his new gallery. PHOTO: Alina Suchanski