‘Entelechia’ is a Latin word originating from the Greek term ‘entelekheia’ which relates to Aristotle’s philosophy describing ‘the condition of a thing whose essence is fully realised’. ‘Actuality’ as distinct from ‘potentiality’. For artist Rita Macarounas, it’s a term which denotes her Greek heritage and is akin to the idea of ‘being the best that we can be’. In this regard, Macarounas turns to the sunflower as a symbol of this state of being fully realised and of the cycle of life. ‘There’s a lot of doom and gloom around so I wanted something really intense to tell a story’, Macarounas says of this work which incorporates a gold leaf background in accordance with the philosophy and sunflower motif as well as harking back to previous training in the Greek Orthodox icon tradition. This work, showing in NCCA’s Boxset over the Christmas/New Year break, belongs to an ongoing series of ‘Entelechia’ works, and marks the artist’s debut showing at NCCA.
Born in Darwin, Rita Macarounas studied visual arts at Campus Arts & Sciences, Athens, with Effie Halivoupoulou, and printmaking at Charles Darwin University with Mats Undén. Her art background also involves pottery and Byzantine iconography. She has been working as an artist since 1986, first showing work in the 29th Pan Hellenic Pottery Exhibition, Athens, 1987. Macarounas returned to Darwin four years ago after a long period living in Greece, and is actively involved in the local arts and Hellenic community. Primarily a painter, Macarounas is particularly drawn to the colour red and all its hues (‘symbolising life, passion, fear, danger, wealth, speed, and attraction’). Gold is also an important component in her work and identifies her Greek Orthodox spiritual heritage. She is currently working on a project based on the Hellenic Diaspora which will be exhibited at Darwin Visual Arts Association in May 2016. Macarounas’s work can be found in private collections in Greece, Holland, Belgium and Australia.
