::VERONICA FUNK::
  • Journal
  • Portfolio
    • Curriculum Vitae
    • Portraits >
      • Woman's Work
      • Extraordinary Women
      • The Grandmothers
      • Wunderland
      • Nasty Women
      • Heroes
      • Ahead of Their Time
    • 52 WEEKS >
      • Wildlife
      • Wildflowers
      • Storytellers
      • Gratitude
    • Fashion Plates
    • Sacred Vessel
    • Simple Pleasures
    • Altered Books
    • Free Art Resources
  • Galleries
  • eCourses
  • Login
    • Painting Animals
    • Painting Art Journals
    • Painting Backgrounds
    • Painting Bees
    • Painting Canoes
    • Painting CityScapes
    • Painting Flowers
    • Painting Hearts & Houses
    • Painting Landscapes
    • Painting Portraits
  • Contact

Extraordinary Women: Aganetha Dyck

9/13/2021

 
Picture
...[bees] create the most beautiful environment that [I have] ever seen. You have to be an artist to be able to do that.

​~ Aganetha Dyck

Honey bees have helped our ecosystems grow and proliferate into what our world is today. According to the United Nations Environment Program, over three-quarters of the world’s crops are dependent on these pollinators. The effects of pesticides and habitat loss have resulted in a rapid decline in the bee population. With the collaboration of thousands of honey bees, Canadian sculptor, Aganetha Dyck is able to showcase the natural works of these beautiful creatures in her numerous sculptures.

Born in 1937 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to a Mennonite family, Dyck was heavily influenced by the critical literature that was surrounded by the rural lifestyle. While studying at Prince Albert Community College in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, she gained various skills such as pottery, art history, Salish weaving and batik. To further her studies, she later went on to study at the University of Winnipeg for art history. However, she did not get into the art field until later on in life due to the responsibilities she held in her family.

Dyck’s work in her early days followed the central theme of transforming domestic activities into fine art using everyday materials that could be found at home. However, it was not until 1989 where she began her journey of creating her infamous pieces with honey bees. These pieces were created by renting out beehives, placing objects into the beehives and allowing honey bees to form a honeycomb around the objects - something which can take many years to produce. She also had the help of entomologists and beekeepers when making these sculptures.

Through her appreciation of the natural art of honeycombs produced by these insects, she expresses in an interview with CBC that “[bees] create the most beautiful environment that [I have] ever seen. You have to be an artist to be able to do that”.

The more she got to work with the captivating honeybee community, the more she realized how important they are to the world. With over 95% of the wild honeybees beginning to disappear, she worries about the important relationship these creatures have with us, humans. With her work passionately driven to bring awareness to these beautiful insects, it contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal on Life on Land.

Due to unforeseen circumstances in 2009, Dyck developed a severe reaction to a bee sting that left her no choice but to have less contact with these creatures. She continues to advocate for bees and encourages everyone to do the same.
​
Ever since the late seventies, her work has been showcased throughout countless solo and group exhibitions around the world. 

~ Tiffany Chan, ArtsHelp


Comments are closed.
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Journal
  • Portfolio
    • Curriculum Vitae
    • Portraits >
      • Woman's Work
      • Extraordinary Women
      • The Grandmothers
      • Wunderland
      • Nasty Women
      • Heroes
      • Ahead of Their Time
    • 52 WEEKS >
      • Wildlife
      • Wildflowers
      • Storytellers
      • Gratitude
    • Fashion Plates
    • Sacred Vessel
    • Simple Pleasures
    • Altered Books
    • Free Art Resources
  • Galleries
  • eCourses
  • Login
    • Painting Animals
    • Painting Art Journals
    • Painting Backgrounds
    • Painting Bees
    • Painting Canoes
    • Painting CityScapes
    • Painting Flowers
    • Painting Hearts & Houses
    • Painting Landscapes
    • Painting Portraits
  • Contact