Horace Zeng

Hi!

My name is Haolin Zeng, or Horace, currently an entomology Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia-Athens. My pursuit is to be a biologist/conservationist/artist and try my best to uncover and demonstrate the beauty of nature.

WHY I love insects 

Every one of them little bugs is like a tiny but super advanced robot. Their small size often conceals their complexity. They are hugely diverse and impactful to our ecosystems. Even after they die, their bodies continue to shine beauty and elegance into the world.

WHY I study social insects 

Social insects such as ants, bees, wasps, and termites are found almost everywhere – that means they are very successful groups of animals. Each colony is considered a “superorganism,” made up of many individuals but effectively functioning as a single organism.

Since Darwin, biologists have been trying to figure out how they evolved such a complex, highly integrated and coordinated lifestyle. We have already learned so much from the functions of social insect colonies. Yet many fascinating questions await to be answered.

WHY I use insects as media for art 

I believe: if you are not creating, you are not really living. My artworks are created not just by me, but also the insects, dead or alive. I wish I could inspire a more profound appreciation of (social) insects, as well as the mother nature who created these insects. 

Art Collaborator

Since late 2021, I have started collaborating with my girlfriend Eva Guo on art projects. She is a Ph.D. student in the art education department of the University of Georgia. She holds a BFA in ceramic art and an MFA in art history from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in China.

 

>> My email: horace.zhl at gmail dot com

Horace Zeng © 2022