Napier based artist Fane Flaws is one of New Zealand's most idiosyncratic and eclectic artists. He is widely known for his quirky, surrealistic work as a visual artist, although his career spanned a huge range of media including graphic design, painting, video and music.

Born in 1951, Fane Flaws started out in graphic design, but his decision to join the BLERTA bus in 1973 led to more than a decade dominated by music. He spent five years touring with BLERTA, an antique bus covered in psychedelic images and an entourage of up to 50 performers and multimedia pioneers. His musical career culminated with The Crocodiles whose song ‘Tears’ (co-authored by Flaws) hit the New Zealand Top 20 in 1980 and would go on to win the NZ Recording Industry Song Of the Year, cemented by wins for Best Album and Best New Group.

Flaws started painting when taking a break from music on Waiheke Island in the late seventies. He went on to develop a huge body of work and a recognisable style that reflected his vibrant, energetic personality. He was often excited about new projects, and new collaborations. He seemed to channel constant creative energy.

After his passing in 2021 Flaws was recognised as having had a considerable impact on New Zealand cultural history. He exhibited throughout New Zealand in various one person and group shows since 1984, and held over 40 awards for his directorial work in film, music video and television, and his work is represented in private collections within New Zealand.