Nude Nicky painting unveiled

Auckland Art Fair

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HOT IN HERE: Celebrity Nicky Watson stars in Liz Maw's painting Venus From Hell, on display as part of the Auckland Art Fair.
GRAHAME COX/Fairfax Media

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Nicky Watson has gone to hell - and she's forgotten to take her clothes with her.

A giant nude painting of Eric Watson's former wife bathed in red and entwined in hair has been unveiled and will go on sale as part of the Auckland Art Fair.

The artwork, titled Venus From Hell, took a month to paint and is by celebrated artist Liz Maw.

It is one of around 650 artworks on display from 40 galleries in New Zealand and Australia as part of the fair. Other artists involved include Colin McCahon, Patricia Pucinini, Shane Cotton and Jim Cooper.

Auckland Art Fair director Jennifer Buckley said the event was accessible to everyone.

"There are artists, collectors, curators the curious - and you can just walk around, there's none of that initimidating feeling of walking into an empty art gallery."

"It’s hard to get your head around comtemporary art, but this is an access point."

Watson told Sunday News she was "honoured" to model for the painting.

"I was required to pose nude but it was always Liz's intention to cover much of my body with hair so nudity wasn't really a concern.

"Besides, I actually love the female form and everything it represents so I see only beauty in nudity anyway."

Watson, 32, told the paper she was "speechless" after seeing the finished product.

"For me Liz's work is charged with meaning and because I portrayed the character in this particular painting I instantly felt very connected to the image.

"Needless to say, it's rather bizarre to view a larger-than-life painting of a figure that looks in many ways exactly like yourself."

The painting is on display from May 1-3 at the Marine Events Centre on Auckland's Viaduct.

For more information, visit www.aucklandartfair.co.nz.

- © Fairfax NZ News