Pupilous Fungious Cloche

Caelan Hughes (they/them), known as Cactus Creations within the queer community, is a multimedia artist based in Meanjin (Brisbane). Caelan blurs boundaries between the natural and the fabricated, inviting viewers to question what is real and what has been carefully crafted. Drawing inspiration from human anatomy, biology, and the natural world, their work frequently features insects and fungi.

Influenced by the macabre, the uncanny, and the imperfect, Caelan celebrates the beauty found in subjects often considered unsettling. While many people recoil from insects and other creepy crawlies, Caelan is fascinated by their intricate forms and hidden elegance. Likewise, fungi (organisms that thrive through decay and transformation) serve as a recurring symbol of life's interconnected cycles.

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'Pupilous Fungious Cloche' is one of my first uncanny domes in the works. It is sculpted from polymer clay and finished with acrylic paint and resin. The entomological specimens are an aurora jewel beetle, fungal beetle, and blue silphidae beetle, selected for their iridescent beauty. The snail at the base appears preserved but is entirely hand-sculpted. Combined with rocks, flocking, faux ferns, and sponge textures, these elements form a timeless terrarium that blurs the line between the natural and the fabricated.