WorkArt & Culture

Masked Ball: Artist collaborates with bees to fix objects and create honeycomb sculptures

In her series The Masked Ball, Canadian artist Aganetha Dyck takes broken porcelain sculptures of 17th century characters and fixes them by collaborating with bees – yes, bees – to coat them in a protective layer of honeycomb.

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Ornate porcelain figurines of 18th century characters in pink and gold clothing, coated in golden honeycomb wax, arranged around a central gaming table in Aganetha Dyck's The Masked Ball series

With over 20 years experience working with beekeepers and scientists, Aganetha is interested in environmental issues, specifically the power of the small. She is interested in inter species communication, and her research asks questions about the ramifications all living beings would experience should honeybees disappear from earth.

In this particular series, she places each object inside a bee hive and allows its inhabitants to get on with their work, leaving nature to take its course. The resulting waxy sculptures demonstrate all that is possible thanks to nature's most efficient designers – bees, the very species we should try harder to protect. If you love Aganetha's work, discover more interesting creations at www.aganethadyck.ca.

Via Creators Project | All images by Peter Dyck

Honeybee on honeycomb-covered porcelain sculpture of a 17th century character from Aganetha Dyck's The Masked Ball series
A porcelain figurine of a 17th century character coated in honeycomb and swarmed with honeybees, displayed outdoors with evergreen trees in the background
Two ornamental porcelain figurines encased in honeycomb created by bees as part of Aganetha Dyck's The Masked Ball series
Ornate porcelain sculpture of three 17th century figures coated in honeycomb and beeswax from Aganetha Dyck's Masked Ball series, displayed outdoors against green foliage
A close-up of a porcelain sculpture's face covered in a protective layer of golden honeycomb created by bees inside a hive
Two porcelain figurines of 17th century characters coated in golden honeycomb from Aganetha Dyck's Masked Ball series, displayed in a garden setting
Honeycomb and beeswax coating a broken porcelain sculpture, with bees and colourful pollen visible across the protective waxy surface
Honeycomb-coated porcelain sculpture with small colourful flowers scattered across its waxy surface, part of Aganetha Dyck's Masked Ball series
Porcelain sculpture of a 17th century figure coated with honeycomb by bees, showing intricate waxy texture covering the face and torso
Ornate porcelain mask sculpture encrusted with honeycomb and decorated with fabric flowers from Aganetha Dyck's The Masked Ball series
Porcelain sculpture of a 17th century figure coated with honeycomb by bees, showing intricate waxy layers covering the restored artwork
A cream-coloured ceramic face with decorative ruffled collar surrounded by white porcelain flowers, with a small chessboard placed on its forehead, all coated in honeycomb from Aganetha Dyck's collaboration with bees
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