I used to think I knew how some caterpillars become butterflies. I assumed they weave cocoons, then sit inside growing six long legs, four wings, and so on. I figured if I were to cut open a cocoon, I’d find a butterfly-ish caterpillar, or a caterpillar-ish butterfly, depending on how far things had progressed. I was wrong. In fact, the first thing caterpillars do in their cocoons is shed their skin, leaving a soft, rubbery chrysalis. If you were to look inside the cocoon early on, you’d find nothing but a puddle of glop. But in that glop are certain cells, called imago cells, that contain the DNA-coded instructions for turning bug soup into a delicate, winged creature—the angel of the dead caterpillar.
Martha Beck- GROWING WINGS: THE POWER OF CHANGE
Metamorphosis explores the experience of womanhood through the lens of perimenopause — a profound period of hormonal and emotional transformation. This series reflects on identity, aging, and self-perception at a time when many women begin to reevaluate who they are and how they see themselves. Through layered imagery and surreal juxtapositions, each piece embodies the tension, vulnerability, and unexpected beauty of this transitional phase.
Analog collages and mixed media (gouache, oil pastels, soft pastels) on paper. Sizes from 29,7 × 42 cm until 42 × 59,4 cm.
