Exchange Talk: Interspecies Collaborations with the Bombyx Mori (domestic silkworm moth)

Musician, photographer and video and textile artist Catherine Lee based in Portland Oregon shares her journey of working with and being inspired by Bombyx Mori moths.

Since 2018, Catherine Lee has created music, photography, video and textile art inspired by and in collaboration with Bombyx mori, the domestic silkworm moth. This is work rooted in place, specifically the neighbourhood where she lives in Portland, Oregon in the United States. A neighbour first introduced Catherine to the Bombyx mori and gave her some worms to raise. Little could she imagine the journey they would take her on. They have and continue to be a profound source of inspiration in this ongoing, flexible exploration and interaction. Hands-on experience has given Catherine an intimate understanding— as she has seen the incredible transformation that happens during their metamorphosis, the almost alien appearance of the mature moths, and the paradoxical delicacy and toughness of the silk cocoons they produce.

Catherine’s presentation will focus on her experiences with the domestic silkworm moths. For instance, what she has learnt through the process of caring for them, and how they have shaped her creative life as an artist. She will also include short video

Considered a “new breed of instrumental specialist,” (New Music Buff) Catherine Lee offers “immaculate, masterful oboe playing” (The Double Reed) in combination with inspired and discerning musicality across an impressive range of genres and styles. With a Juno Award nomination, Lee’s second solo album, Remote Together (2021 – Redshift), received unanimously positive reviews from an international array of media. Lee is on faculty at Willamette University (Salem, OR) and holds a Doctor of Music in Oboe Performance from McGill University (Montreal, Quebec), and certification from the Deep Listening Institute (New York).

www.catherinemlee.com