50,000 Bees Become Jewellers: The Honeycomb Collection

LOOP NECKLACE SILVER AND HONEYCOMB – IMAGE BY JAMES CHAMPION

Have you ever wondered what happens when nature and art collide? Hold onto your sunhat because what we’re about to dive into is pure magic: jewellery designed with the help of 50,000 buzzing bees.

We all know that bees are the unsung heroes of our ecosystem, pollinating flowers and making honey. But what if I told you they’re now in the jewellery business?

Yep, you heard that right! Kelvin Birk, a jewellery designer with a fascination for these buzzing creatures, has collaborated with 50,000 bees to create a one-of-a-kind jewellery collection.

The Concept

Kelvin Birk isn’t your average jewelry designer. He’s a man on a mission to blend art, nature, and the ephemeral beauty of life. He placed silver shapes inside a live beehive and let the bees do their thing.

Over time, these hardworking insects built honeycombs around the metal, transforming them into wearable art pieces.

This resulted in unique, breakable, and even slightly sticky jewellery pieces that exemplify the concept of the transient nature of our world.

Through this Honeycomb collection, Birk also brings attention to the importance of honeybees for pollination and the challenges they face, such as climate change, habitat loss, pesticides, parasites, and deadly diseases.

“This is all part of the concept of the transience of our world,” says Birk. “Nothing lasts forever, and we have to be careful with our natural resources.”

Why Bees Matter

• Pollination: Essential for global food supply
• Habitat Loss: Threatened by climate change
• Pesticides: Chemicals that can disable or kill them
• Diseases: Vulnerable to various deadly diseases

The Collection

The Honeycomb collection is a blend of several wearable sculptures, jewellery, fine art, and performance art. It includes rings, pendants, necklaces, and even a brooch.

Each piece showcases an intricate honeycomb design, serving as a testament to the artistry of the bees. The Honeycomb Collection is a collection of unique, shape-shifting sculptures that challenge our perceptions of what jewellery can be.

For instance, one ring features a wide honeycomb slab that stretches across four fingers! Each piece showcases an intricate honeycomb design, serving as a testament to the artistry of the bees.

The Creative Process

While constructing the Honeycomb pieces, Birk and his winged collaborators faced some challenges. Birk initially tried to guide the bees’ creative process by covering parts of the silver shapes with tape and felt.

But guess what? The bees weren’t having it. They chewed off the materials, reclaiming their blank canvases.

“They are very stubborn,” Birk notes. “They can’t be told what to do.”

In the process of creating the jewellery, Birk sought the help of urban beekeeper Tue Sando, a student of his at the K2 Academy of Contemporary Jewellery.

Over the course of five months, they carefully placed the silver pieces in one of Sando’s beehives in a South London garden and observed the bees building their sophisticated honeycombs.

The outcome is a striking reflection of how humans attempt to control nature, yet its nature that ultimately decides the direction it takes.

Bee Collection

Before working on the Honeycomb collection, Birk started to incorporate bees in his designs just before the COVID-19 lockdown, using dead insects in his creations. This eventually led him to employ live bees, giving the jewellery an even more authentic and natural appearance.

Pricing and Availability

The Honeycomb jewellery pieces are going to be sold at prices ranging from £2,500 and £3,600, appealing to conceptual art enthusiasts and those captivated by the themes of chaos, impermanence, and innovative craftsmanship.

The collection is not only a beautiful display of wearable art but also a vivid reminder of the importance of bees within our ecosystem and the need to protect them.

They’ll first be available at a London crafts collective in November and later on Birk’s website.

Other Artists That Employ The Help Of Bees

Inspired by this unique collection of honeycomb jewellery we decided to see if we could find any other artists that use bees as their focal point.

Bees have been a source of inspiration for artists for centuries, symbolising everything from industriousness to environmental fragility. We found a number of artists that have taken this a step further by incorporating bees or bee-related themes into their work.

Let’s explore some of these artists who are creating a buzz in the art world.

Wolfgang Buttress

Wolfgang Buttress is known for his large-scale public art, often inspired by the natural world. One of his most famous works is “The Hive,” a 17-meter-tall installation that mimics a beehive’s structure. The piece even responds in real-time to the vibrations and sounds within a real beehive.

Sarah Hatton

Sarah Hatton uses dead bees to create intricate patterns and designs on canvas. Her work often serves as a commentary on the declining bee populations and the environmental factors contributing to it.

Aganetha Dyck

Aganetha Dyck collaborates directly with bees to create her art. She places objects into beehives and allows the bees to build honeycomb around them, resulting in unique sculptures that are a blend of human and bee artistry.

Hilary Berseth

Hilary Berseth manipulates beehives to create sculptures. He constructs frameworks for the bees to build upon, guiding their natural processes to create intricate, organic forms.

Ren Ri

Ren Ri is known for his bee sculptures made within transparent polyhedra. The bees build their hives inside these shapes, and the end result is a fascinating blend of geometry and natural design.

Matt Willey

Matt Willey is an artist with a mission to paint 50,000 bees in murals around the world, roughly equivalent to the number of bees in a healthy hive.

His project, known as “The Good of the Hive” aims to raise awareness about the importance of honeybees and other pollinators.

Willey’s vibrant murals can be found in various locations, from schools to public buildings, and each mural is a vivid tapestry of individual bees, each with its own character and flair.

Quick Facts: Artists and Their Bee-Inspired Works

Conclusion

From installations that mimic the hum of a hive to murals that aim to paint 50,000 bees, artists around the world are adding new dimensions to bee-inspired art.

These artists not only celebrate the aesthetic beauty of bees but also draw attention to their ecological importance.

So, whether it’s a mural on a school wall or a sculpture in a gallery, remember that each piece is a tribute to these buzzing wonders and their role in our world. 🐝

Kelvin Birk’s Honeycomb collection is a testament to the beauty and complexity of nature, and it puts a spotlight on the importance of bees in our ecosystem.

It’s not just jewellery; it’s a conversation starter about sustainability and the delicate balance of nature.

So, the next time you see a bee, maybe you’ll think of it as not just a pollinator but an artist in its own right. And if you’re interested in doing your part to help bees, consider picking up a bee revival kit to nourish those tired, thirsty little guys.