Esther Hansen

“The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire” – The Bloodhound Gang

“… I want you to act. I want you to act as you would in a crisis. I want you to act as if our house is on fire.” - Greta Thunburg

The Bee Box Book Project converts a Langstroth hive box into a “book”.

Each side expressing an aspect of beekeeping and the artist’s own personal bee mythology. On one side, the factual story of Steve Nimmer, a California beekeeper who tried to rescue, but lost, most of his hives in the 2017 Thomas Wildfires. Global warming is increasing the risk of fires that destroy everything in their path, including whole ecosystems, homes, and businesses.

They also show the power of man working with nature to rebuild and restore. We are on the brink of ecological disaster. Bees are dying from the impact of human practices.

What if a Queen bee really did rule the world?

The other pages are more fantastical, from ladies riding bees side-saddle to bees dancing jive.

Monoprint, laser-cut woodcuts and pronto lithography have been
layered to create images that celebrate a pivotal moment in our
species.

Our house is on fire, will we just let it burn?

List of collaborators: Esther Hansen concept, design, and printing;
Rebecca Bent paper cuts, gluing and framing;
Meg Wilson expert inking of pronto plates.