Ethics
Sourcing the specimens
I create artwork from insect specimens sourced from historical collections and conservation projects around the world.
My inspiration for working in the mediums I do is the inherent emotional qualities these species engender, the brevity of their lives reflecting our own and captured forever with their beauty.
Using preservation techniques I have learned over many years, I’m able to restore specimens to their full glory, many of them having arrived after being in an old collection, hidden in a drawer or a dusty attic!
Others I source from conservation projects, never taken from the wild, many of which enable the preservation of valuable rainforest and habitat by enabling villagers to make an income raising specimen without damaging their surroundings.
You can read more about projects like these at:
https://kipepeo.org
https://africanrainforest.org/portfolio-items/the-amani-butterfly-project/