Claire Moynihan hand-embroiders intricate British insects and invertebrates on to small spheres of alpaca felt. The individual works are impressive, dimensional and vibrant- the creatures look as if they’ve just alighted there for the moment, ready to take off.
Collected like scientific specimens, her “bug balls” are displayed in large shadow boxes, along with their scientific names. Her gallery of collections must be seen to appreciate the amount of intricate work that goes into each insect. Though Moynihan started with moths (making moth balls, of course!) her menagerie spread to all sorts of British insects, including many thought of as pests, such as aphids and earwigs. Her celebration of unloved inverts seems to be the focus of her work, calling attention to the minute mouths which feed on cabbage, cottage, and couture with indifferent ease. 
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