John Byrd works with taxidermy, hand-built ceramics, cast plastic, and other materials to create works that recall decorative souvenirs and knick-knacks. The artist says that “within a domestic space, I’m intrigued by the ability of an encapsulated aesthetic to establish, defy, and challenge characteristics of culture and class.”
“While often a formal decision as much as a cultural reference, it does force me to acknowledge my conflicted consumptive role,” the artist says. “To some extent, I am interested in the ego attached to this process and sometimes find myself building the skillful ceramic “settings” in attempt to justify the death or at least return a level of honor lost in the animal’s passing. I make no attempt to be a moral compass on this subject. My work is simply a personal study of my own hypocrisy as a participant in the notion of both honor and consumption.”
See more of Byrd’s work below.
No matter the materials used, 
New Jersey-based sculptor 
Using acrylic nails and hand-stitched sequins, 
Vienna, Austria based artist