Shallow Iridescence

Discover the giant octopus hiding in plain sight at the Museum’s entry with this perspective mural by InkHunter

In 2023, the Australian National Maritime Museum commissioned a mural for the entry forecourt to promote awareness of ocean health. 

Created by local artist InkHunter, the mural titled Shallow Iridescence, is designed to be viewed from a range of perspectives, with different elements visible from different angles and approaches. When seen from Pyrmont Bridge, a giant blue-ringed octopus is revealed.  

InkHunter’s aim is to convey that many invisible elements combine to create a big picture, underscoring the notion that all the small contributions people make toward preservation of oceanic health will add up. InkHunter (aka Patrick Hunter) says, ‘my objective is to draw people in, with the different ways the artwork appears from different angles. I want to engage people’s curiosity to look more closely and delve further into the mural from its surface impression, and to prompt consideration on the issues it reflects.’ 

Inside the octopus’ tentacles are fishing nets and wreckage. It is in a flared up posture, warning and warding off interference, signalling the need to give the ocean space to recover.  

The mural was laid down in multiple coats of paint, starting with a grid of symbols that set the foundations and guide for the mural’s intention with themes of environmental destruction, nautical motifs, sea creatures, connection to ocean and joy.  Multiple artists contributed to the baseline grid, including Keith Stanley, Em Hatton, John Foley, Colin McKinnon and the Museum's First Nations curator Tyson Frigo. 

Shallow Iridescence reflects the museum’s priority of ocean health and sustainability. It is intended to provoke a sense of shared responsibility for the ways in which human behaviours impact our environment, and to inspire active awareness for sustainable systems and outcomes. The museum is a signatory to the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and looks for ways to communicate a message of ocean science to the community. 

Patrick Hunter, aka InkHunter is an environmental street artist from Sydney. Growing up on Sydney’s Northern Beaches surrounded by nature, Patrick has always been immensely passionate about ocean conservation. He served as a Surf Lifesaver for 7 years, began surfing from an early age, is an avid sustainable fisherman, freediver and scuba diver.

As a firm believer that art can be used as a visual medium to create positive change, Patrick is interested in using public artwork to engage and inspire the community to make sustainable choices. In 2020, Patrick founded Plastic Free Beaches in response to an increase in single-use plastics such as face masks and coffee cups. Through this, Patrick has worked with schools and not-for-profit organisations to create educational artworks that encourage sustainable behaviour change.

InkHunter also created the octopus illustrations for the Museum’s digital interactive space druning the 23/34 summer season, Ocotopus Garden.