Made by Bees: Slovak Artist Uses Honeybees to Sculpt a Wax Bust of Nefertiti

According to Tomáš Libertíny: “This monumental new work was made in collaboration with 60.000 honeybees, invited by the artist to build their beeswax honeycombs around the skeleton of the Bust of Nefertiti.

The bust is based on the 3D model of the original portrait of the Egyptian queen. It was ( crafted in 1345 B.C. now on permanent display at @staatlichemuseenzuberlin.) The process of building the new queen took incredible 2 years to complete. It is a testament to the strength and timelessness of the “mother nature” as well as its ancient character as a powerful female reigning against the odds. The queen and her husband Pharaoh Akhenaten were famous for abandoning the polytheism of ancient Egypt and introducing Aten, the sun god, though unsuccessfully. The beeswax sculpture is making the connection to the “mother nature” more tangible as well as transcendent.

The long process had two stages. First, it was shown at @kunsthal in Rotterdam in the summer of 2019 as “live installation” where visitors had the chance to observe the process of bees building the artwork at the museum. Second, it was finished completely in 2020 and exhibited as part of my solo show “Melancholia” at Rademakers Gallery in Amsterdam which runs until the 30th of January, 2021.”

More: Tomáš Libertíny, Instagram