PETER PALFI
GRADUATE STUDENT, SCULPTURE
Ghost in the Jar
Decellularized Leopard Tortoise
As a contemporary artwork, Kappa is the first of his kind: a leopard tortoise who was decellularized to become the perfect representation of a hybrid taxidermy process. When an accident happened in the preserve process, Kappa’s shell and skin completely detached due to the high concentration of alcohol, creating a bridge between the taxidermy methods of mammals and reptiles.
Through this process of transformation, this artwork hauntingly reminds us that death is a natural part of life.
