Exquisite Creatures

Step into a realm where art, nature, and science converge. Exquisite Creatures explores humanity’s enduring fascination with the living world through the work of artist and naturalist Christopher Marley. Using animal, mineral, and plant specimens as his medium, Marley creates striking three-dimensional compositions that reveal the natural world’s intricate beauty and diversity. This is the first exhibition at the HRM to leverage our multidisciplinary nature with our partnership with Art Bridges, bringing together an exhibition that displays the perfect marriage of art and science.

Through vibrant displays of symmetry, balance, and pattern, the exhibition invites visitors to look closely and experience biophilia—our innate need to connect with nature. Together, these awe-inspiring works spark curiosity, wonder, and a deeper appreciation for the natural world.

All of the vertebrates that Marley uses in his work are reclaimed after dying of natural or incidental causes. He has innovated techniques for a host of organisms that are not typically considered good candidates for preservation. He also utilizes insects collected or bred in an environmentally sensitive manner that uses a worldwide network of people and institutions that share his passion for nature.

About the Artist
Christopher Marley is an artist, naturalist, photographer, and author who uses preserved natural specimens as his medium. He grew up in the Pacific Northwest, immersed in nature from his earliest memories. During a decade spent traveling the world as a fashion model, Marley’s passion for discovering unfamiliar elements in the natural world became an obsession.

His work was born of a desire to share nature’s majesty in a way that inspires us all. Marley believes that in the proper light, beauty is found in every organism and that the deeper our appreciation for the aesthetics of nature, the more eager we are to immerse ourselves in it and conserve it.

Support for the exhibition is generously provided by Art Bridges.

Exhibitions are made possible in part by assistance provided by the County of Westchester and the City of Yonkers.