Tomas Libertiny is a Rotterdam based artist who makes incredible sculptures using wire and one unordinary material: beeswax.
One of his sculptures, Thousand Years, is really a collaborative piece. He sculpted metal wire into the shape of a teapot and then he worked with Dutch beekeepers to get 60,000 bees to sculpt thousands of perfect hexagons around the scaffolding until the honeycomb created a beautiful, yellow teapot.
The Dutch artist frequently utilizes beeswax in his works as he enjoys using nature's art to enhance his own, but this specific piece was commissioned by the French silver manufacturer Christofle. Though weather conditions forced Libertiny to make two separate attempts at the work, he was able to complete the sculpture.
The artist says, "The title of the work Thousand Years is not only reflecting the amazing materials properties — beeswax can literally last thousands of years — but also the scale of human life in the face of the apparent eternity of the universe."
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h/t: Inhabitat
Bees will create honeycombs to hold their larvae, honey reserves, and pollen. Bees always create the combs cells in the shape of hexagons that get laid out quasi-horizontally.
The hexagonal structure has been studied and admired by designers, builders, and mathematicians for centuries. Ancient Greek mathematician Euclid praised the honeycomb structure for its efficient use of space and materials.
The hexagonal structure of honeycombs allows the bees to build them into curved shapes for Libertiny's artwork.
Libertiny recruited professional beekeeper Johan Beckers to ensure that the bees' natural home was not disrupted.
Libertiny's work has been displayed in museums around the world, including the MoMA in New York City; the Cincinnati Art Museum; MUDAC in Lausanne, Switzerland; and even the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY.
He has created numerous sculptures using the same methods and, because of the strength of beeswax, the pieces are surprisingly sturdy. This piece, The Agreement, was commissioned for a cultural festival during the 2012 Olympics in London.
Before he began building with bees and their wax, Libertiny spent four years studying and learning from beekeepers so that he could eventually create this stunning pieces of art.
Please SHARE if you love these sculptures and watch the beautiful video highlighting the art below.
