Butterflies · Emblems of the Soul – WMODA

by Louise Irvine

On World Wildlife Day, we are reflecting on the appalling statistics that over a million species of wild fauna and flora are threatened with extinction having been classified as threatened or critically endangered. Continued loss of species, habitats and ecosystems threatens all life on Earth, including us. The WWD theme for 2022 is “Recovering key species for ecosystem restoration” and we applaud the work being done by Kiki Sylvain and her husband, Sedrick, who breed native species of Florida butterflies and release them into the wild in south Miami.

Kiki Sylvain

Kiki Sylvain has had a profound love for butterflies since childhood. She enjoyed researching multiple species and their incredible transformation from caterpillars. As the butterflies went through their metamorphosis so did Kiki as an artist… Having introduced butterflies and moths to their Florida garden, Kiki and Sedrick began breeding native species for SK Butterflies in 2012.

Kiki also started to preserve the fleeting beauty of the perished butterflies in framed artwork, jewelry, and home décor, which are now sold at the WMODA museum shop. They also breed non-native butterflies and their daughters help them recover the wings from the cruelty-free environment where they encourage the growth of butterfly host plants. Kiki is currently breeding the Zebra Longwing butterfly, which was designated the official state butterfly of Florida in 1996. The Zebra can be found around the state but it is more common in the south, especially in the Everglades.

The butterfly has been a source of wonder and a metaphor for spiritual beliefs since ancient times and Kiki often performs butterfly releases at weddings, funerals, life celebrations, and other symbolic occasions.

Christine Rosasco

Christine Rosasco is a South Florida native who is very passionate about appreciating and respecting Mother Nature. Her designs with butterfly wings are about bringing new life and appreciating the exquisite beauty of these unique creatures. Christine believes that jewelry is a way of expressing and enhancing the natural beauty inside each of us. She enjoys making people feel good about themselves and she is one of the best-selling artists in the WMODA shop.

Christopher Marley

At WMODA, we have been great fans of butterfly art since Christopher Marley’s Biophilia exhibit when we displayed his exquisite butterfly mosaics. We were inspired to look more closely at butterflies in nature and art and presented porcelain Art Deco dancers with butterfly wings in our Carnival & Cabaret exhibition. The Lladró chandelier featuring a frolic of butterfly-winged porcelain fairies has transformed our Fantastique exhibition.

“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.”