Pinned and Poised combines photography and mixed-media dioramas to explore the contrast between the feminine and grotesque. I believe that insects, often seen as disgusting, deserve to be appreciated for their unique beauty. In a way, I want to provide them a home, a space where they are comfortable rather than exterminated and hunted. 

My works are created through the sourcing of various materials from estate sales, antique malls, and thrift stores, where I find vintage textiles, doll furniture, and other objects. These second-hand materials, combined with graphic design and insects preserved through pinning techniques, allow me to create dioramas that showcase them in an endearing way.

By combining elements of delicate lace, soft fabrics, and miniature doll furniture with the sleekness of insects, I challenge traditional notions of beauty and embrace a more complex view of the world. Ultimately, I hope to invite viewers to reconsider their relationship with bugs and to see beauty in what is often repulsed or misunderstood. 

The Victorian era was marked by an obsession with the grotesque and ornate flourishes that influence the dioramas I create. In the Parlor, a Victorian-inspired hair wreath sits above an atlas beetle. Neither hair nor insects decay easily. Hair art was considered an intimate way of memorializing or sharing love for someone, which is what I aim to do with my portrayal of these insects.