She is an New Zealand artist living in Melbourne and is trained in taxidermy, jewellery and cobbling, with her present work inspired by the Momento Mori wave present from 15th-18th Century, and, of course, the Victorian period. I personally love mourning jewellery, especially those made with human hair. I am always amazed at how they plait and weave it all together. Anyway, I digress...
DeVille uses silver and goldsmith techniques and combines them with taxidermy, hair and jet (that lucious black stone), and fear not, she only uses animals who have died of natural causes, she won't even use road kill. In her artist statement on her website, she finds it particarly fascinating to be part of a society that blocks any reminder of death, as if it is a curse. Her label is called Disce Mori, which is latin for 'Learn to Die'. She sees her taxidermy as a celebration of life, preserving something beautiful, and looking at her work I totally agree. I think it's amazing...
What I also like is that she puts her money where her mouth is and has donated her own body to Germany's Institute of of Plastination, which means when she dies she will be dissected, filled with a special polymer and preserved for exhibition. Have I mentioned the word 'amazing'? Rumour is she is also Nick Cave's girlfriend/partner...say no more.....
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