Slice Me (2021)
Created during a 14-day hotel quarantine, Slice Me was born from a blur of doom-scrolling and fascination. After landing on a corner of social media focused on exotic insects, I became captivated by the jewel beetle (Chrysochroa fulminans); an iridescent species known for its striking, metallic colors.
Fun fact: their vibrant hues aren’t caused by pigment, but by microscopic structures that refract light (a phenomenon known as structural coloration).
This piece imagines one such beetle crawling across a traditional Japanese knife, its body unexpectedly split in a clean cross-section revealing the interior of a lime. Clearly biologically inaccurate, but conceptually provocative. I wanted to challenge myself technically by rendering a range of distinct surfaces: the beetle’s shimmering exoskeleton, the sharp steel blade, the intricate patterning of the knife’s handle, and the juicy translucence of the lime segment.
Reflections & Areas for Improvement:
This was a technically challenging piece that allowed me to explore a wide range of textures all within a surrealistic concept. The balance of these elements invites curiosity without leaning too far into fantasy.
I struggled with rendering the fine hairs on the beetle’s legs. My attempt felt too clunky and visible, lacking the soft, wispy quality of real insect fuzz. A more effective approach might involve building up opacity gradually with lighter, layered strokes to achieve a more realistic texture.
