What is HEXAPODA?

Scientifically, the word Hexapoda (Greek for six legs), describes a group among all living things defined by the presence of a consolidated thorax with three pairs of legs.

The largest part of this group, which represents more than half of all known living organisms, is more recognizably known by their common name: Insects.

… in our case, however,

HEXAPODA is the name of a new collection of nature-related artwork by multi-medium artist, Mielle Harvey.

As the creative force behind HEXAPODA, Harvey has always been fascinated by insects. It was recognition of their importance in nature, combined with their ability to elicit feelings of attraction and repulsion, which originally inspired Harvey to feature them in her artwork.

As this focus continued, it also helped form her distinctive, ‘wearable sculpture’ aesthetic, which combines jewelry and sculpture to create items which have as much impact when worn on the body as they do when displayed on their own.

While HEXAPODA provides a natural vehicle for Harvey to bring her artwork to a wider audience, her intent is also to use the communicative power of jewelry to raise awareness about the importance of insects as a whole and their importance to everyday life as we know it.

Recent publicity concerning the demise of the Honey Bee and the dire consequences which could occur as a result, serves to highlight the delicate balance on which our eco-system is based. By disregarding the importance of symbiotic interdependence, Harvey supports the belief, that we’re failing to recognize the importance of insects and the positive benefits they provide.

This issue has been at the heart of Harvey’s ongoing focus on insects over the years and it now forms the foundation of the HEXAPODA philosophy.

Taking the traditional concept of jewelry – made from materials of perceived value, then changing this into depicting insects of value, from which jewelry is made – creates an important statement in support of insects and the HEXAPODA philosophy:

… the more we appreciate the value of something, the greater the likelihood we’ll take care of it.

Through jewelry, a medium often associated with influence and power, this simple idea creates a powerful message – with The HEXAPODA Collection providing the means to share it with others.

· HEXAPODA aims to donate a proportion of sales toward financing insect awareness initiatives.
· If you’re involved in a project related to insect awareness and are interested in working with us, let us know.
· All items in the HEXAPODA collection are individually handmade and produced out of Harvey’s studio.
· HEXAPODA jewelry items do not contain real insects.
· To be kept informed about HEXAPODA news and new releases, please join our Mailing list and ‘Like’ our facebook Page!