Most people struggle to see the beauty in insects and avoid them at all costs, but Märta Mattsson isn’t one of them. The Swedish artist and jewelry designer is turning the often repulsive world of insects and dead animals into objects of beauty and wearable art.
Mattsson was interested in art and biology from a young age, and she found a unique way to combine her two passions into one. Her plans to be a biologist fell apart when she had trouble dissecting animals in high school, but he managed to turn her disgust into a superpower.
She’s now creating jewelry pieces that explore the thin line between attraction and repulsion, and it’s not a coincidence that many of them take the shape of insects.
“In the 18th century, many new breeds of animals and plants were discovered and it was the main era of cabinets of curiosities… In a world where not many new and exotic breeds are discovered I use dead creatures in my pieces to evoke wonder,” she explains on her official website.
Mattsson’s creations often take the shape of butterfly wings, but they’re not the only creatures she’s fascinated by. From spiders and beetles to birds and reptiles, she looks for inspiration all around her and uses her art to pay homage to fascinating creatures that most people would rather avoid.
