Fragility, Defence, and the Politics of Care

The Bee has emerged as a persistent motif in Waggett’s practice, a small creature carrying weight far beyond its scale. These works are not decorative studies of nature; they operate as portraits of resilience. She approaches the subject as an emblem of collective survival, a symbol of labour that is at once delicate and essential.

Technically, the works sit within her broader exploration of precious metals, memory, and the idea that beauty is rarely innocent. Each painting is layered with oil, gold leaf, and metal alloys that react over time, producing subtle shifts of color and sheen. Light becomes part of the image, revealing and concealing details depending on the viewer’s position. The materials behave like the insects themselves, responsive and reactive in their own right.

What distinguishes Waggett’s Bees is the tension they hold. At first glance they feel fragile, yet every line and reflective surface implies a form of defense. Their wings are rendered with care, their bodies lifted by a flicker of gold that suggests both vulnerability and power. This interplay sits at the core of Waggett’s work: beauty as something that must be protected, and protection as something that requires collective effort.

These works also extend Waggett’s interest in the relationship between craft and memory. Raised in Manchester, a city whose symbol is the worker bee, she carries the legacy of a place shaped by collective labour. The bee became Manchester’s emblem during the Industrial Revolution, representing industry, community, and the recognition that survival depends on working together. This history is traced by Waggett’s long-standing engagement with materials rooted in domestic and craft traditions. Her surfaces echo a lineage of making associated with textile workers, artisans, and the quiet persistence of hands at work.

While intimate in scale, the works function as contemporary icons. The gold leaf, far from a decorative flourish, evokes the sacred and the vulnerable in equal measure. In many traditions, gold is a material that marks both reverence and fragility, a signal that something is precious precisely because it can be lost.

Waggett’s Bees are not simply subjects, they are propositions. They ask what survives, what requires tending, and what we choose to protect. In a practice shaped by themes of strength and fragility, these small creatures become carriers of a larger truth: that beauty demands care, and that resilience often appears in forms that are delicate, luminous, and quietly determined.

Original oil paintings

by Elizabeth Waggett

Highly sought after and limited in number, these original oil paintings will be released in November 2025.

Key dates and information -

Pricing ranges from $750 - $3200 depending on scale, number, complexity, framing, and gilding.

Previous Bee collections have sold quickly, so preview access ensures everyone who loves these works has a fair chance to collect one first. Each work is an original oil and 23k gold painting, ready to hang in antique frames sourced in France.

Preview: Friday November 21st, 2025 — A chance to view the entire collection (not available for purchase yet)
Collector’s Access: Monday November 24th — Collectors receive access to purchase
Early Release – Preview list: Tuesday, November 25th, 2025 — Registered individuals get early access
Release – Public Release: Wednesday, November 26th, 2025 — Collection becomes available to the general public

Delivery: Worldwide via FedEx, shipping late Nov-Early Dec. Guaranteed by Dec 25th
Payment: Credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, and payment plans available. All payments are processed in USD through the website.

For a preview of the works please sign up below. Joining the preview list ensures you’ll see the new series early and have access to purchase on November 25th before the public release.