Tess Chodan creates sublime and poetic works using antique insect specimens from historical collections: butterflies, moths, beetles and bees. Her work celebrates the tradition of collecting, reflects on memory and preservation, fragility and time, and is inspired by the fleeting lives of the natural world.
All specimens included in her work are strictly non-endangered and sustainably/ethically sourced. The vast majority of insects are from antique collections, often between 50 - 150 years old, painstakingly and lovingly restored and mounted. The Artist says of her work "These specimens will all outlive me and will be records for taxonomy purposes, to illustrate the timeline and evolution of our incredible wildlife."
Chodan has spent years researching museum entomology collections in the UK and Australia, she has learned directly from professional entomologists who have then become her mentors. She exhibits internationally, and lives and works in Somerset.
