I studied Biological Sciences at university and during my degree there, held a particular interest for eusocial insects – I found it fascinating how animals that are seemingly so simple could be units of social structures that are dazzlingly complex. I also find bees rather endearing and comedic little fur balls – traits I’ve tried to capture with this piece!
Besides their academic allure and bumbling, caricaturish nature though, bees are unimaginably important. It is estimated that 1/3 of all the food we consume is pollination-dependent and that bees take care of a large proportion of that work for us. In the UK alone, bees are estimated to contribute around £400 million to the economy (and supply us with delicious honey to sweeten the deal).
So, when a single colony holds around 50,000 individuals, all working tirelessly to make sure nature can keep bearing the literal fruits of their labour, I would argue that they aren’t only its heroes, but ours.
MATERIALS: Laburnum, Walnut
DIMENSIONS: 120 x 75cm
PRICE: £350
AVAILABILITY: SOLD (can be made to order)