Commissioned by the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT), Reach continues IΩANNA’s exploration of material histories and personal ancestry. On 4 June 2026, Reach was auctioned at MAGNT's annual fundraising event, supporting their public programs and ongoing cultural initiatives across the Territory.
Reach | Mt Gambier Limestone, Cast Aluminium, and Oil paint | 2026
I often choose the octopus in self-representation, a symbol of adaptability, alien intelligence, and cyclical transformation. Cast aluminium tentacles emerge from a base of Mount Gambier limestone, a material formed from fossilised remains of ancient marine organisms. Sourced from the region where my father, a first-generation Greek-Australian, was born, the stone functions as both a geological and familial marker, carrying traces of deep time alongside personal history.
Grounded in the waters of my ancestors in Samos, Greece, and echoed in the marine environment of Darwin, Reach explores connections between place, memory, and migration. A biological marker of where I live and work - Larrakia Country, I cast reclaimed aluminium derived from bauxite, a foundation abundant throughout Darwin and the wider Northern Territory.
These tentacular forms were created using the lost-wax casting process, drawing upon metalworking traditions that span generations of my ancestors. ‘Reach’ traces knowledge, culture, and memory between places.
I would like to extend my thanks to the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory Foundation and Neville Pantazis of Parap Fine Art for the commission and for its ongoing support of artists in the Northern Territory.