in collaboration with honeybees, ava roth's artwork is encased in honeycomb

a honeycomb collaboration

with her latest work, artist ava roth works closely with beekeeper mylee nordin and a swarm of honeybees. the series of honeycomb pieces celebrates the ability for harmonious collaboration between the environment and humankind. the honey-producing insects have full control over the artwork after the toronto-based artist supplies a foundation of twigs, rocks, porcupine quills, and rose quartz. from there, the team of tiny workers gradually build their hexagonal structures around the existing piece. 

see designboom’s coverage of ava roth’s previous honeybee collaboration here.

images courtesy of ava roth

ava roth’s structured nature

ava roth‘s completed honeycomb collaboration shows a dichotomy between organic texture and logical structure. even though it is created from small objects found from nature, the foundational piece by ava roth expresses an inherent gridded logic. meanwhile, the honeybees’ contribution echoes the patterned structure, while showing subtle, organic variations in height and texture — the unpredictability of natural forms.

an homage to craft

ava roth’s honeycomb collection takes shape as an homage to the canadian landscape and to the world of craft. through the use of organic materials, the artist references the natural environment while hand stitching, bead work and embroidery recall traditional crafts. the resulting work by the artist together with the swarming honeybees is a new vision of a traditional craft in her unique and contemporary language.

project info

artist: ava roth

project title: honeycomb collection

collaborators: mylee nordin, beekeeper

via: colossal

photography: courtesy of ava roth