National MP Ian McKelvie with the winning artwork featuring Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's Mona Lisa smile.
National MP Ian McKelvie with the winning artwork featuring Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's Mona Lisa smile.
As if Rangitikei's National Party MP Ian McKelvie hadn't found the outcome of the election hard enough to swallow, he had another Labour victory to deal with on Saturday.
A stunning rendition of one of the world's most iconic artworks featuring new Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern won first prize inthe Fakes & Forgeries art competition at Mangaweka.
Jacinda Ardern's Mona Lisa smile graced the winning oil painting and, in what competition organiser Richard Aslett called "a spooky twist of irony", Mr McKelvie was on prizegiving duty.
Mr Aslett said Mr McKelvie was a bit shocked but took it all in in good spirit.
The fake version of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, featuring a beaming Ms Ardern was the work of Dunedin artist Victoria Heatherbell and came complete with fern trees and picturesque New Zealand scenery in its background.
Mr Aslett said the 10th year of the Fakes & Forgeries competition and exhibition had attracted more than 50 entries in the adult and 16 years and under categories, while the school competition produced nearly 200 artworks.
"The school section is getting bigger and bigger," he said.
"When we started out we just had Mangaweka School but now most of the schools in the district are entering."
