Crucifix

Just before Easter (quite appropriately), I was commissioned to create this Crucifix from white paper butterflies for a client's daughter who is soon to recieve her first Holy Communion. I really enjoyed this commission, not least because it brought back memories of when I also recieved my first Holy Communion as a child. 

The other reason I enjoyed creating this piece is because the client understood something of butterfly mythology and their Christian symbolism. The butterfly has long been a symbol of the Christian story of the resurrection, and a parallel of Jesus' life. The butterfly starts out living an earthly life as a caterpillar before disappearing into a cocoon and appears dead, (Jesus entombed), but emerges later, transfomed, (Jesus resurrected), far more beautiful and powerful than before.