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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Eva Corlett in Wellington

Secret life of Gerald: the New Zealand MP who spent a lifetime crafting a vast imaginary world

A selection of maps, paintings and writing laid out on a board
Some of the documents and illustrations that Gerald O'Brien created to tell the story of his imaginary world. Photograph: Eva Corlett/The Guardian

Gerald O’Brien lived a very public life – he was a New Zealand MP, anti-war activist and president of the World Peace Council, but not even those closest to him knew of his secret, all-consuming lifelong art project, which resulted in a vast and complex imaginary world.

Hidden in the late politician’s basement were O’Brien’s hand-painted and written imaginings, obsessively created from the time he was a toddler through to his years in parliament and beyond.

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