13 Butterflied Owls (2018)

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Latin America is home to a species of butterfly whose wing patterns mimic the feathers and face of an owl. It is aptly named the owl butterfly. The connection between these two creatures is a mysterious one: the butterfly being a daytime creature, whereas the owl is active during the night. I had the idea to create one such butterfly through origami, and in my work produced 13 unique butterflies, each mimicking a different type of owl. By using each specimen, we may obtain the complete picture. In ancient Egypt, the thirteenth hieroglyphic depicts an owl, and is transcribed as the letter “M”. The Illuminati secret society incorporates these in similar symbols. The act of assembling separate elements to obtain a single answer is similar to the process of making one of these butterfly specimens.

 

Mediums: acrylic, oil on paper

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Dimensions: 51.5cm x 72.8cm x 5.0cm

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