By Louise Irvine

On August 1, curious minds of all ages will gather at WMODA to hear Kiki Sylvain, an expert on butterflies, tell the story of the caterpillar’s metamorphosis. Kiki is a professional butterfly breeder and artist, and her interactive educational workshop ties the wonders of the natural world with the museum’s beautiful collection of butterfly art. At this interactive, hands-on experience, participants meet hungry caterpillars and chrysalises up close before watching a breathtaking live butterfly release.  

The biological process of transformation from a caterpillar larva into an adult butterfly or moth is one of the earliest science lessons from kindergarten, and the fascination does not diminish with age. From the age of 3, young children worldwide interact with Eric Carle’s best-selling picture book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, as it hatches from its egg, munches its way through an assortment of fruit (and some unlikely foods), and ultimately emerges as a colorful butterfly.  

Since its publication in 1969, this delightful board book has sold more than 50 million copies, been translated into 60 languages, won numerous awards, and has been adapted for television. The iconic collage artwork and pages with “holes” eaten by the caterpillar have led to the book’s acclaim as “one of the greatest childhood classics of all time.” It was also used by former first lady Barbara Bush as part of her campaign to promote literacy. Of course, real caterpillars don’t get stomachaches from lollipops and ice cream, and Kiki’s workshop at WMODA sets the record straight.

Kiki Sylvain has had a profound love for butterflies since she was five years old. With her husband, Sedrick, she began introducing butterflies and moths to their garden in the lush Redlands. They developed a wealth of knowledge about creating a butterfly-friendly garden and the host plants that attract butterflies, such as Tropical Milkweed, Sweet Almond, and Rue. In 2012, they formed SK Butterflies to breed native Florida species and release them into the wild in South Miami.  The Zebra Longwing butterfly, designated Florida’s official state butterfly in 1996, is a successful native species.  Unlike many butterflies that live only a few weeks, Zebra Longwings can live for several months because their specialized mouthparts allow them to digest pollen in addition to sipping nectar. 

By promoting their work through social media, SK Butterflies developed worldwide sales and incorporated their business in 2015. They offer a wide range of live butterflies and caterpillars, both native and exotic species, and present butterfly releases for schools and life celebrations. The butterfly has been a source of wonder and a metaphor for spiritual beliefs since ancient times, and Kiki often performs butterfly releases at weddings, funerals, birthdays, and other symbolic occasions. 

As the butterflies went through their metamorphosis, so did Kiki as an artist. She also specializes in preserved butterflies, butterfly artwork, jewelry, and home décor, which have been sold in the WMODA Museum Shop for many years. Kiki’s interest in preserving the beauty of butterflies for posterity began when she found a deceased butterfly on the floor of their greenhouse. Sedrick suggested framing it and encouraged her to turn her newfound hobby into a thriving business. No butterflies are harmed in Kiki’s creations, which are preserved when they reach the end of their natural lives. They maintain a predator-free environment in their greenhouse, and each butterfly they breed is sold either live or preserved. Today’s approach to butterfly art focuses on conservation and ethical sourcing rather than capturing wild insects as in previous centuries.  

The satirical illustrator Thomas Rowlandson caricatured the obsessive nature of butterfly collecting in the Georgian era by portraying the naturalist Sir Joseph Banks knocking over a gardener as he tried to net a Purple Emperor, one of Britain’s largest and most majestic butterflies. The Victorians were also passionate about butterfly collecting and preservation, fueled by the rise of natural sciences, exotic exploration, and the understanding of biodiversity. They displayed meticulously categorized and splayed butterflies in glass domes and cabinets. Entomology was an educational pastime and a scientific tool before the advent of color photography.  

Butterfly art abounded in Victorian greeting cards, which featured winged maidens and cherubic children. Victorian ceramic artists captured the spirit of the era by incorporating butterflies into Majolica wares and other types of art pottery, as seen at WMODA. At the end of the 19th century, butterfly dancers were all the rage, and their costumes became increasingly fantastical in vaudeville reviews and burlesque shows, such as those at the Folies Bergère in Paris. Loie Fuller was the ultimate butterfly dancer, and her sensational performances inspired European painters and porcelain artists. Beautiful dancers by Royal Doulton, Goldscheider, and Karl Erns are on display in the Art Deco gallery at WMODA. The striking Actios Luna figure by Karl Ens celebrates the beautiful moth that can be seen flitting around Florida. If it is not in your neighborhood, you can purchase live Luna Moth eggs or preserved examples from SK Butterflies.  

Karl Ens, Rosenthal, and Hutschenreuther also created exquisite porcelain butterfly sculptures during the Art Deco era.  The iridescent luster glazes perfected by Wedgwood inspired Daisy Makeig-Jones to design flutters of butterflies on shimmering vases and bowls. Meanwhile, Clarice Cliff preferred a more abstract approach to butterflies for her vibrant Bizarre wares reminiscent of the pochoir prints by Edouard Benedictus that she acquired in Paris.  In more recent times, Sally Tuffin of Dennis Chinaworks has created a kaleidoscope of brilliant butterfly designs, including several one-of-a-kind trial designs enhanced with miniature butterfly models included in the WMODA collection. One of her most extraordinary vases depicts a moth metamorphosing into a tiger, inspired by the Great Tiger moth.  

Read more about the Butterfly Magic Event

Read more…
Butterflies · Emblems of the Soul
Papillons in Porcelain
Emblems of the Soul

Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.