Professor Polly at home in her parlour

So what's going on here? We have a super-intelligent parrot - Polly to her friends, but Professor to her students - at home and trying to relax but the kids are testing out their camera skills. We've all been there...

There's something about the aesthetic of old family photographs that I perversely love - the retro wallpapers, the jaunty angles and lack of focus, the look of terror on the poor victims, the fashion faux pas - and of course the memories - they're a delight to relive.  And I found some wonderfully cringing examples in my old family photo archive to share so you can perhaps see where I'm coming from with lovely Polly.

When creating this piece, I was also inspired by this iconic photo of Frida Kahlo against a richly patterned green wallpaper. I couldn’t just use any wallpaper for Polly, though, so I learned how to create a repeating pattern in Photoshop and designed one especially for her parlour using imagery from related pieces (including “It’s about time”).

But why is the wallpaper ripped and shredded in places? One look inside a kākā nest box and you’ll soon understand! Check out the video below…

Polly was also inspired by a friend who became one of New Zealand’s youngest female professors—funnily enough, her daughter is also named Polly, but that’s just a happy coincidence.

I’ve never quite found out what Polly’s specialty is, but it has been suggested that she is probably a polyglot or a polymath.

I’ve loved hearing from many women who see themselves reflected in Polly. I find her very relatable—with her gorgeous grey hairdo, proud schnoz, and quizzical eyes that never miss a trick.

• Come and see “Professor Polly” at my Zealandia exhibition
• Archival limited-edition fine-art prints of “Professor Polly”