My art seems to be very controversial at the moment. That is fine, it is not for everyone even though I'm not here to shock people. I do what I do to give the animals a second life as you will and I believe in the beauty in death. 

Also, I get the question a lot why I never use the term "cruelty free". My answer is simple. 

Cruelty free sounds comforting and somehow gives peace of mind. And that's enough for many people. I see it a bit differently.

The remains that I find aren't always intact. Think about the power lines, the many roadkills and natural predator kills. I don't believe those occurances to be cruelty free at all and therefore I do not use the term. Found remains are often not complete as they are dragged away by natural predators, do look disturbing at times and are mostly parts. If I would use that term on the remains that I find and the products that I make out of them, I would be sugarcoating things, not telling the truth and that's just not right.

However, I am comfortable using the cruelty free term for the insects and butterflies I work with, even though this seems unbelieveable to many and is a much more of a controversial and sensitive subject.

People have visions with traps, butterfly nets, mass breeders, etc. Well, this is not how I obtain these beautiful creatures and I don't work with people or companies who do so. 

The deceased butterflies and insects are from all around the world and collected by reputable entomologists that I trust througout the years. All insects and butterflies are from conservatories where they are captive bred and hand reared. A percentage will be released into the wild, the rest will stay until they die of NATURAL CAUSES. The tropical forests are rapidly declining and this keeps the balance in forest and species. By buying entomology art you are supporting the butterfly conservatories that help species survive and thrive in their sustainable habitats.

Interesting fact is that my dad loved and enjoyed some of these beautiful species when he grew up back in Indonesia. As many people think otherwise, I'd rather see the animals I work with alive than being dead.

 

 

This being said and since I work with different kinds of beauties and remains altogether, I won't use the term "cruelty free" in general in my art.

 

Thank you for reading. :)

 

Esther - Dark Echoes