Powelliphanta Fiordlandica 3.0

Powelliphanta Fiordlandica 3.0
Original Ink Pen Drawing

Size: 30 × 40 cm
Medium: India Ink and Ink pen on archival quality Fabriano Watercolour Paper
Time Spent: 24 hours
Framing: Unframed (framing available on request)
Availability: One‑of‑a‑kind original

Price: $1200 NZD (includes packaging; shipping and framing extra)

🌿 The Story Behind the Artwork

This drawing celebrates Powelliphanta fiordlandica, one of New Zealand’s rare giant carnivorous land snails. Endemic to Fiordland, these nocturnal predators silently forage the forest floor for earthworms, “slurping” them like spaghetti. In Powelliphanta Fiordlandica 3.0, I imagined one of these ancient survivors, carriers of Gondwana’s legacy, physically bearing the tangled roots, lush beech fronds, ferns, and mosses of its Fiordland home. The forest is woven into its shell and body, symbolizing how deeply habitat shapes identity.

Drawn over 24 contemplative hours in black India ink and ink pens, this piece blends scientific homage with poetic portraiture: quiet, intricate, and grounded in Aotearoa’s fragile ecosystems. It’s a tribute to the slow, the silent, and the symbiotic, inviting you to pause and respect the delicate balance of life beneath the ferns.

🖋️ Signed original
📄 Includes a story insert and certificate of authenticity
📦 Framing and shipping are custom - due to the delicate nature of this piece, please reach out to arrange safe delivery and optional framing.