Curiosity Series: Pyrops pyrorhyncha

Title: Curiosity Series: Pyrops pyrorhyncha (blue winged latnerfly without spots)
Year Created: 2025
Dimensions: L 6.5” x W 4.25” x T 2.5” closed (book and box open to showcase collage environment)
Materials Used: laternfly specimen, found lace scraps, silk fabric, silk bookcloth, overmarbled paper, doublesided kozo, found historical documents,  hand-made papers (plant fiber, abaca and cotton), exotic wood handmade frame, UV plexi inset to protect specimen
Media Methods: letterpress printed booklet, watercolor diagram and handwritten annotations of species

Description of the book form:
This sculptural artist book integrates a wooden-framed collage of specimens and found natural elements, creating a three-dimensional environment that tells a visual narrative. Serving as a cover for the frame, a hardcover foldout book opens to reveal both a concise history of cabinets of curiosities and an illustrated diagram detailing the objects contained within the display.

The piece is meant to be both a book (describing the history of cabinet of curiosites and detailing the specimens included) and a framed specimen shadow box. It can be read and displayed, and keeps the specimens protected from UV exposure when it's closed. 

Description of the Series:
My sculptural artist books within the Specimen Series are deeply rooted in natural forms and the traces left behind by plant and animal life. Many of these works draw on the history and visual sensibility of cabinets of curiosities, creating a dialogue between observation, collection, and artistic interpretation.

The butterfly and larternfly specimens captivated me both as a discrete form and as a symbol of transformation. Its structure embodies the beauty inherent in natural remnants—the vacated pod marking the passage from creation to decay. I am continually fascinated by the diversity of pod forms, the intricacy of their construction, and the ways similar shapes emerge across species, revealing a shared geometry of transformation.

Originally conceived as sculptural studies of chrysalis forms, the series has expanded into a broader exploration of connections between plant, animal, and handmade papers. Through this ongoing investigation, the works weave together natural history, material experimentation, and the poetic possibilities of remnants, creating foldout pieces that unite collage, text, and illustration into a single contemplative experience.