Patsy Hely's Was that a Willy Wagtail? (2021) has been acquired by the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Rendered in porcelain and painted with soft-hued ceramic pigments, the work is characteristic of Hely's gentle observational style, attending to the trees, birds and people who populate everyday life in Canberra and on her travels.
Hely's works are held in major public collections across Australia, and internationally at institutions including the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Musée royal de Mariemont. This acquisition marks the first inclusion of her work in the Art Gallery of New South Wales collection.
22 July 2026