The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum has welcomed a 17-piece art exhibit by Rosenstiel School student Akihiro Shiroza titled, “Glorification of the Dead.” Shiroza found inspiration for his artwork during his interaction, on a quotidian basis, with dead specimens and reflection on his role as a larval fish collector and taxonomist.
Using scientifically collected larval samples he “glorifies” them through cleaning rituals, chemical processes, and digital techniques. Shiroza has identified about 200,000 larval fish (approximately 2mm – 20mm in total length) over the last three years, before magnifying the super-macro photographs up to 200 times to the size of their mature bodies to complete the final product.
“I take my time to clean the specimens, and free them from dust and other foreign objects attached to their surface, as an act of respect to the deceased before their last judgment in the Big Book of Records,” says Shiroza.
Shiroza is a larval fish taxonomist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC). He will be receiving his Master of Professional Science Degree from the Rosenstiel School’s division of Marine Biology & Fisheries later this year, and is also the founder of the
Studio El Condor – an art studio.
“Glorification of the Dead” will also be on display during the 37th Annual Larval Fish Conference next June in Miami. Read more about this unique art exhibit here.
What do you think of Akihiro’s work? Leave a comment below.
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