TOMAS LIBERTINY

Hera is a deeply personal and biographical work. Made by bees from natural beeswax over a period of one whole season, the bust strongly resembles that of the famous marble Hera Barberini. In ancient Greek religion, Hera, wife of Zeus, is the goddess of marriage, women and family, and the protector of women in childbirth. The artist has fought a difficult loss brought by the experience of abortion and the pain it carries with it for both partners. In addition, experiencing an early divorce of his parents, family has always been a symbol of a revered union as well as anxiety. Nature, symbolically represented by the honeybee colony, continuously renews itself through birth and death cycle. In the process, something is immaterial is being passed. Our personal salvation is in the eternity of life’s hardwired ambition “to live and procreate”. In this whole process, Hera is symbolically watching over us with grace and understanding.