A pioneer of installation art from the late 1960s, Wakely's delicate approach was the antithesis to the male dominated art world of the time. Her work is characterised by its temporality and study of nature, as well as its use of atypical, fragile materials: silk, spices, fruit and the natural elements. Despite a lack of recognition in her own country, Wakely spent long periods in Brazil, where she received critical and popular acclaim due to the country's deep appreciation of the ephemeral nature of art. In 1989 she met the Brazilian artist Tunga (1952–2016), who became her lover and collaborator. Their relationship, in the tropical milieu of Brazil, had a significant influence on her, and together they collaborated on a number of performances and films. The gallery's presentation at Art Basel Miami Beach features several of these collaborative works, as well as pieces from the 1970s until the year proceeding her death in 2011. Many will be shown in the USA for the first time.