Daniel Byrne

After graduating from Falmouth Art College in 1993, Daniel Byrne developed his artistic career around the visual drama of the natural world. Daniel’s early work was in reaction to the macabre nature of Victorian butterfly displays which inspired his desire to breathe life into them. Daniel replaced uniformity with movement and created hand-cut compositions that appeared to be breaking free from the confines of their frame.

Daniel became fascinated with the idea of ‘multiples and how art can draw inspiration from the way creatures naturally appear in large numbers when they flock or gather. He transforms nature’s most arresting specimens into living beings by reimagining the poses and formations of real life and translating these into conceptual compositions that invite the viewer to connect with them.

Each piece begins with a two-dimensional image and evolves into a three-dimensional object: fabricated in paper-based materials by hand, using a unique series of precise processes.

“The natural world creates beautiful patterns out of what can seem to be random and chaotic. But this chaos is choreographed by the creatures themselves – be it by communication or a shared motivation and this is the driving inspiration behind my work.”

Each of Daniel Byrne’s original works is created with hundreds of hand cut butterflies designed to recreate the beautifully chaotic movements of these creatures.