Bead embroidery on dyed, screen-printed felt

I’m a researcher at the UH Insect Museum, a member of Honolulu Printmakers & the lead organizer of the art show. I have an undergraduate degree in art, I wrote an M.S. thesis on the evolution of wing pattern in tiny brown moths, and I wrote a doctoral dissertation on the early evolution of insects (way back before dinosaurs evolved). My favorite mediums have long been printmaking and fiber, and this year I began to finally unite the two by adding bead embroidery atop screen-printed felt. I love celebrating subjects we don’t usually see in art, whether insects (of course), slime molds, or toilets.

“Goldbug” features Nysius coenosulus. This species is unexceptional in every way: the bugs are tiny and brown, they don't have any unique or surprising behaviors, and they share their habitat with much more charismatic insects. They look and act just like their very close relatives who live all over the world. There is no story to tell about them. We also have hundreds upon hundreds of specimens of them in the museum—which is great for scientific understanding, but doesn't exactly generate an air of mystery or intrigue. I was amused by the idea of portraying such an ordinary insect species in the most ornate, over-the-top, luxurious way I could. And now, the only piece of Nysius coenosulus art in the world is made with hundreds of tiny glass beads plated in palladium and gold. Even the unremarkable little critters deserve to be celebrated.