Wendy Zhang’s love for insects knows no bounds. She has a freezer compartment full of dead insects, allows wasps to nest in her home, has a beetle tattoo on her arm and keeps a bucket list of insects she dreams of seeing in her lifetime. Among them: the world’s biggest insects, like the titan beetle of the Amazon rainforest, which defends itself with sharp spines and powerful jaws.
Even when she travels, insects are a key part of the itinerary. In Myanmar, while backpacking, she insisted on visiting an insect farm – despite suffering from food poisoning. In Laos, for sheer fun, she and her partner spent an evening flipping over dozens of dried-up cow dung piles to examine the local dung beetles.
On her travels, Wendy Zhang keeps a lookout for insects, such as during this trip to Myanmar in 2015. (Photo: Wendy Zhang)
A self-professed entomophile (insect lover), Zhang said attending the 2024 International Congress of Entomology in Kyoto – what she affectionately calls an "insect nerd camp" – was one of the best experiences of her life.
Today, the Singaporean artist channels her passion into work as an artist, conservation educator, and researcher. Working primarily with watercolours, she seeks to spread the beauty and ecological importance of these “remarkable, yet misunderstood creatures” far and wide with the rest of the world.
Wendy Zhang shows off the T-shirt she designed, titled Le Danse by Henri Mantisse (a play on the famous artist’s work) during the 2024 International Congress of Entomology in Kyoto. (Photo: Wendy Zhang)
For a city-dweller in Singapore, a deep fascination with insects might seem unusual. But for the 31-year-old, it was a natural outcome of a childhood spent immersed in nature.
Born to a Taiwanese father, she often spent holidays – including Chinese New Year – on her uncle’s pear farm. Some of her fondest memories include exploring overturning cabbage leaves in her grandmother’s garden in search of caterpillars or beetles feasting on overripe fruit.
Growing up near a nature park in Singapore meant being constantly surrounded by greenery. She remembers looking out her window at night and watching insects drawn to the light, fluttering into her home. “It’s very weird – I feel like I didn’t choose insects. The insect life chose me,” she quipped.
Her teenage years were otherwise typical, but her interest never waned. She devoured books and documentaries about insects, and spent hours in quiet pockets of nature with a sketchbook and a picnic mat. But Wendy never saw herself as a scientist, and went on to pursue a degree in arts business management at LASALLE College of the Arts.
In 2015, Wendy Zhang realised that insects and art could spark conversation, and she began to illustrate insects on used coffee cups and tote bags. (Photo: Wendy Zhang)
In 2015, she realised that insects and art could spark conversation, and she began to illustrate insects on used coffee cups and tote bags. While interning at Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei, she carried one to work, and her colleagues encouraged her to hold a public event – her first time sharing her love for insects publicly. People were fascinated by what she was doing, and her colleagues supported her by modelling her bags and her art.
Working primarily with watercolours, artist Wendy Zhang seeks to spread the beauty and ecological importance of these “remarkable, yet misunderstood creatures” far and wide with the rest of the world. (Photo: Wendy Zhang)
Zhang’s voice softens when she speaks about her love for insects, her words almost reverential. “I always tell people my love for insects came in phases. As a child, it was pure curiosity. Then, as I grew older, I started learning – the science, the conservation, the vital role insects play in the environment – and that deepened my love for them. It sounds strange, but it feels like getting to know someone in a relationship. At first, something small intrigues you, and then you suddenly realise just how important they are.”
Wendy Zhang looking at insect specimens in the Natural History Museum in London in 2022. (Photo: Signify)
In her first job as an exhibition coordinator at the ArtScience Museum, Zhang experienced a transformative moment. Encouraged by her colleagues, she applied for a highly competitive workshop led by entomologists Dr Hwang Wei Song of National University of Singapore, Prof Christiane Weirauch and Prof Tran Anh Duc, where she met dozens of like-minded insect lovers from across Southeast Asia. The experience was revelatory, especially since “science had always felt intimidating, like a world out of reach,” she said.
Determined to deepen her knowledge, she took on a one-year stint at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, conducting field research in Mandai’s lush reserves. It was gruelling work – setting traps, collecting specimens, studying local insects – but deeply fulfilling.
Zhang later joined the museum full-time (from 2020 to 2024), contributing to Signify, a groundbreaking project digitally curating Singapore’s biodiversity over the past 200 years. She sifted through collections, including those at the Natural History Museum in London, examining specimens like crustaceans, mammals, and insects.
“Being able to dig through the vast insect collection was incredible,” Zhang recalled. “Every day felt like Christmas. I’d open a drawer and find myself staring at insects from places I’d never heard of, with colours I’d never seen before. It was like seeing a painting come to life. You can look at pictures online, but seeing a specimen in person – it feels unreal. You can’t help but believe that something like this really exists.”
Art remains central to Zhang’s practice. During a two-week residency at Ubah Rumah on Nikoi Island, off the east coast of Bintan in 2023, she immersed herself in the island’s insect diversity.
Nikoi Island hosted The Long Run’s annual gathering, in 2023, bringing together conservation leaders and sustainability advocates to drive impactful change. (Photo: Nikoi Island)
Much of her time was spent hunched over patches of grass, poking around the dirt, or using a makeshift insect catching net made from an old tennis racket and a leftover mosquito net. Her persistence paid off, allowing her to temporarily capture skittish tiger beetles, which she describes as “beautiful iridescent beetles, about the size of a fingernail,” along with carpenter bees and the striking golden orb weaver shimmering under the sun.
Collaborating with the local carpentry team, Zhang built an experimental insect hotel using recycled materials like dead branches, sawdust, bamboo and scraps from the island, to attract diverse insect species.
The residency also provided opportunities for Zhang to connect with guests in a relaxed setting. "Because there’s this person on the island who can’t stop talking about insects, they now start noticing things more,” she said. Guests even began sending her photos of insects they encountered.
Insect painting workshop during a two-week residency at Ubah Rumah on Nikoi Island. (Photo: Wendy Zhang)
She also introduced children to the coconut rhinoceros beetle, the largest beetle she could find on the island, and encouraged them to interact with it. “With encouragement and security, children would reach out and give the little creature a gentle stroke,” said Zhang.
Wendy Zhang gives a talk on Invisible Engineers: Insects Role In Singapore's "City In Nature" on Mar 11. (Photo: NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore)
Zhang’s approach to insect advocacy is one of gentle invitation. She’s adamant that she will “never force anyone to like insects or change their mind about them,” instead using them as a conversation starter.
Her outreach is as quirky as it is impactful, using creative collaborations to highlight the crucial role of insects in ecosystems.
In 2019, she teamed up with the social enterprise Migrant x Me and NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore (NTU CCA Singapore) to bring together locals and migrant workers, where they traded stories about insects from their home countries and created insect art from recycled materials. She also hosted a recent talk at a barber friend's supper club and is teaming with local brands to bring insect-inspired fashion prints.
From left: Wendy Zhang, Associate Prof Eleanor Slade and Associate Prof Laura Miotto during the Climate Transformation: Sustainable Societies Lecture Series event on Mar 11, (Photo: NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore)
Rising temperatures and land-use development threaten global insect populations, often called the "insect apocalypse." In Singapore, this decline could harm ecological diversity and disrupt food sources for birds across the island. Insects provide vital ecosystem services – such as pollination, pest control, and nutrient cycling – that are crucial for maintaining balance, especially in the fragile ecosystems of our nature reserves, she pointed out.
When asked about her favorite insect, Zhang prefers to view them collectively: “Insects help trees grow, support pest management, and break down organic matter – all the small parts working together to help the world function.”
Tiny Things Can Save Our World, an artwork presented for Singapore Art Week 2022. (Photo: Wendy Zhang)
Beyond entomology, Zhang has also spotlighted other small, often invisible organisms. During Singapore Art Week 2022, through a residency with the International Network of Socially Engaged Practitioners (INSEP), she used algae and spirulina to create watercolour pigments for participants to paint with.
ArtLink Community Programme aims to bring visual art workshops to children and youth from underprivileged communities in Singapore. (Photo: Art Outreach Singapore)
Zhang observes that many in hyper-urban Singapore have developed a deep-seated disgust for insects, a reaction shaped by years of internalised reactions. However, she believes childhood is the ideal time to shift that mindset, planting seeds of curiosity while children remain open to exploring the world around them.
Through a programme with non-profit Art Outreach, Zhang leads two-day workshops for children at neighbourhood education centres. Her sessions combine watercolour art with insect anatomy, teaching kids about the beauty and complexity of local species, from dragonflies to carpenter bees and ants, and the ecological role of local insects.
ArtLink Community Programme aims to bring visual art workshops to children and youth from underprivileged communities in Singapore. (Photo: Art Outreach Singapore)
“These kids often ask if insects bite or sting them,” Zhang said. “They’ve never really taken the time to look at insects. If I can bring one right up to their face and show them the blues of its body or how its legs move, it helps them see things in a new light.”
She has witnessed the impact firsthand. A teacher once shared that a typically restless boy sat still and focused for the first time in her class, captivated by the insects. “He couldn’t stop asking, ‘What’s next?’” She added: “Sometimes, kids say things like, ‘I learned that things that seem ugly at first can actually be really pretty when you look closely.’”
Zhang considers herself part of a small but dedicated community of “insect fanatics” in Singapore, from academics to insect enthusiasts and macro photographers who head out every night in search of the next bug. In forested areas, she can't resist shining her torchlight into hidden areas, drawn to the thrill of discovery – and as she puts it, "you see manure and can't help but dig into it."
As an artist, she’s open to new challenges, whether it’s building a massive insect sculpture or writing a musical about insects. “I still feel like a kid,” she added, “always curious, always asking questions, always wanting to learn more.”
When asked about the wildest thing she’s done for insects, Zhang reflected on her journey of advocacy. “Even though I have lots of support, it still gets me down that the general public often finds insects disgusting. Some people are open-minded, but others say things that really hurt. I’ve gone home crying before,” she admitted.
But despite the challenges, Zhang remains focused on the bigger picture. She recalled a recent hike in Langkawi, Malaysia – a destination famous for its beaches – but she chose to venture along the mountain trails instead.
“The hike wasn’t about reaching the summit,” she said. “It was about seeing how many insects I could find along the way, looking into every crevice and every hole.” During that hike, she was stopped in her tracks by the sight of a pompilid wasp, a wasp that preys on spiders. “It’s moments like that that remind me why I keep going. It’s about enjoying every step of the journey, no matter what.”
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Even when she travels, insects are a key part of the itinerary. In Myanmar, while backpacking, she insisted on visiting an insect farm – despite suffering from food poisoning. In Laos, for sheer fun, she and her partner spent an evening flipping over dozens of dried-up cow dung piles to examine the local dung beetles.
On her travels, Wendy Zhang keeps a lookout for insects, such as during this trip to Myanmar in 2015. (Photo: Wendy Zhang)
A self-professed entomophile (insect lover), Zhang said attending the 2024 International Congress of Entomology in Kyoto – what she affectionately calls an "insect nerd camp" – was one of the best experiences of her life.
Today, the Singaporean artist channels her passion into work as an artist, conservation educator, and researcher. Working primarily with watercolours, she seeks to spread the beauty and ecological importance of these “remarkable, yet misunderstood creatures” far and wide with the rest of the world.
AN EARLY FASCINATION WITH BUGS
Wendy Zhang shows off the T-shirt she designed, titled Le Danse by Henri Mantisse (a play on the famous artist’s work) during the 2024 International Congress of Entomology in Kyoto. (Photo: Wendy Zhang)
For a city-dweller in Singapore, a deep fascination with insects might seem unusual. But for the 31-year-old, it was a natural outcome of a childhood spent immersed in nature.
Born to a Taiwanese father, she often spent holidays – including Chinese New Year – on her uncle’s pear farm. Some of her fondest memories include exploring overturning cabbage leaves in her grandmother’s garden in search of caterpillars or beetles feasting on overripe fruit.
Growing up near a nature park in Singapore meant being constantly surrounded by greenery. She remembers looking out her window at night and watching insects drawn to the light, fluttering into her home. “It’s very weird – I feel like I didn’t choose insects. The insect life chose me,” she quipped.
Her teenage years were otherwise typical, but her interest never waned. She devoured books and documentaries about insects, and spent hours in quiet pockets of nature with a sketchbook and a picnic mat. But Wendy never saw herself as a scientist, and went on to pursue a degree in arts business management at LASALLE College of the Arts.
In 2015, Wendy Zhang realised that insects and art could spark conversation, and she began to illustrate insects on used coffee cups and tote bags. (Photo: Wendy Zhang)
In 2015, she realised that insects and art could spark conversation, and she began to illustrate insects on used coffee cups and tote bags. While interning at Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei, she carried one to work, and her colleagues encouraged her to hold a public event – her first time sharing her love for insects publicly. People were fascinated by what she was doing, and her colleagues supported her by modelling her bags and her art.
Working primarily with watercolours, artist Wendy Zhang seeks to spread the beauty and ecological importance of these “remarkable, yet misunderstood creatures” far and wide with the rest of the world. (Photo: Wendy Zhang)
Zhang’s voice softens when she speaks about her love for insects, her words almost reverential. “I always tell people my love for insects came in phases. As a child, it was pure curiosity. Then, as I grew older, I started learning – the science, the conservation, the vital role insects play in the environment – and that deepened my love for them. It sounds strange, but it feels like getting to know someone in a relationship. At first, something small intrigues you, and then you suddenly realise just how important they are.”
INSECTS AT THE HEART OF HER CAREER
Wendy Zhang looking at insect specimens in the Natural History Museum in London in 2022. (Photo: Signify)
In her first job as an exhibition coordinator at the ArtScience Museum, Zhang experienced a transformative moment. Encouraged by her colleagues, she applied for a highly competitive workshop led by entomologists Dr Hwang Wei Song of National University of Singapore, Prof Christiane Weirauch and Prof Tran Anh Duc, where she met dozens of like-minded insect lovers from across Southeast Asia. The experience was revelatory, especially since “science had always felt intimidating, like a world out of reach,” she said.
Determined to deepen her knowledge, she took on a one-year stint at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, conducting field research in Mandai’s lush reserves. It was gruelling work – setting traps, collecting specimens, studying local insects – but deeply fulfilling.
Zhang later joined the museum full-time (from 2020 to 2024), contributing to Signify, a groundbreaking project digitally curating Singapore’s biodiversity over the past 200 years. She sifted through collections, including those at the Natural History Museum in London, examining specimens like crustaceans, mammals, and insects.
“Being able to dig through the vast insect collection was incredible,” Zhang recalled. “Every day felt like Christmas. I’d open a drawer and find myself staring at insects from places I’d never heard of, with colours I’d never seen before. It was like seeing a painting come to life. You can look at pictures online, but seeing a specimen in person – it feels unreal. You can’t help but believe that something like this really exists.”
Art remains central to Zhang’s practice. During a two-week residency at Ubah Rumah on Nikoi Island, off the east coast of Bintan in 2023, she immersed herself in the island’s insect diversity.
Nikoi Island hosted The Long Run’s annual gathering, in 2023, bringing together conservation leaders and sustainability advocates to drive impactful change. (Photo: Nikoi Island)
Much of her time was spent hunched over patches of grass, poking around the dirt, or using a makeshift insect catching net made from an old tennis racket and a leftover mosquito net. Her persistence paid off, allowing her to temporarily capture skittish tiger beetles, which she describes as “beautiful iridescent beetles, about the size of a fingernail,” along with carpenter bees and the striking golden orb weaver shimmering under the sun.
Collaborating with the local carpentry team, Zhang built an experimental insect hotel using recycled materials like dead branches, sawdust, bamboo and scraps from the island, to attract diverse insect species.
The residency also provided opportunities for Zhang to connect with guests in a relaxed setting. "Because there’s this person on the island who can’t stop talking about insects, they now start noticing things more,” she said. Guests even began sending her photos of insects they encountered.
Insect painting workshop during a two-week residency at Ubah Rumah on Nikoi Island. (Photo: Wendy Zhang)
She also introduced children to the coconut rhinoceros beetle, the largest beetle she could find on the island, and encouraged them to interact with it. “With encouragement and security, children would reach out and give the little creature a gentle stroke,” said Zhang.
A GENTLE APPROACH TO INSECT ADVOCACY
Wendy Zhang gives a talk on Invisible Engineers: Insects Role In Singapore's "City In Nature" on Mar 11. (Photo: NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore)
Zhang’s approach to insect advocacy is one of gentle invitation. She’s adamant that she will “never force anyone to like insects or change their mind about them,” instead using them as a conversation starter.
Her outreach is as quirky as it is impactful, using creative collaborations to highlight the crucial role of insects in ecosystems.
In 2019, she teamed up with the social enterprise Migrant x Me and NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore (NTU CCA Singapore) to bring together locals and migrant workers, where they traded stories about insects from their home countries and created insect art from recycled materials. She also hosted a recent talk at a barber friend's supper club and is teaming with local brands to bring insect-inspired fashion prints.
From left: Wendy Zhang, Associate Prof Eleanor Slade and Associate Prof Laura Miotto during the Climate Transformation: Sustainable Societies Lecture Series event on Mar 11, (Photo: NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore)
Rising temperatures and land-use development threaten global insect populations, often called the "insect apocalypse." In Singapore, this decline could harm ecological diversity and disrupt food sources for birds across the island. Insects provide vital ecosystem services – such as pollination, pest control, and nutrient cycling – that are crucial for maintaining balance, especially in the fragile ecosystems of our nature reserves, she pointed out.
When asked about her favorite insect, Zhang prefers to view them collectively: “Insects help trees grow, support pest management, and break down organic matter – all the small parts working together to help the world function.”
Tiny Things Can Save Our World, an artwork presented for Singapore Art Week 2022. (Photo: Wendy Zhang)
Beyond entomology, Zhang has also spotlighted other small, often invisible organisms. During Singapore Art Week 2022, through a residency with the International Network of Socially Engaged Practitioners (INSEP), she used algae and spirulina to create watercolour pigments for participants to paint with.
SHAPING YOUNG MINDS
ArtLink Community Programme aims to bring visual art workshops to children and youth from underprivileged communities in Singapore. (Photo: Art Outreach Singapore)
Zhang observes that many in hyper-urban Singapore have developed a deep-seated disgust for insects, a reaction shaped by years of internalised reactions. However, she believes childhood is the ideal time to shift that mindset, planting seeds of curiosity while children remain open to exploring the world around them.
Through a programme with non-profit Art Outreach, Zhang leads two-day workshops for children at neighbourhood education centres. Her sessions combine watercolour art with insect anatomy, teaching kids about the beauty and complexity of local species, from dragonflies to carpenter bees and ants, and the ecological role of local insects.
ArtLink Community Programme aims to bring visual art workshops to children and youth from underprivileged communities in Singapore. (Photo: Art Outreach Singapore)
“These kids often ask if insects bite or sting them,” Zhang said. “They’ve never really taken the time to look at insects. If I can bring one right up to their face and show them the blues of its body or how its legs move, it helps them see things in a new light.”
She has witnessed the impact firsthand. A teacher once shared that a typically restless boy sat still and focused for the first time in her class, captivated by the insects. “He couldn’t stop asking, ‘What’s next?’” She added: “Sometimes, kids say things like, ‘I learned that things that seem ugly at first can actually be really pretty when you look closely.’”
AN UPHILL BATTLE
Zhang considers herself part of a small but dedicated community of “insect fanatics” in Singapore, from academics to insect enthusiasts and macro photographers who head out every night in search of the next bug. In forested areas, she can't resist shining her torchlight into hidden areas, drawn to the thrill of discovery – and as she puts it, "you see manure and can't help but dig into it."
As an artist, she’s open to new challenges, whether it’s building a massive insect sculpture or writing a musical about insects. “I still feel like a kid,” she added, “always curious, always asking questions, always wanting to learn more.”
When asked about the wildest thing she’s done for insects, Zhang reflected on her journey of advocacy. “Even though I have lots of support, it still gets me down that the general public often finds insects disgusting. Some people are open-minded, but others say things that really hurt. I’ve gone home crying before,” she admitted.
But despite the challenges, Zhang remains focused on the bigger picture. She recalled a recent hike in Langkawi, Malaysia – a destination famous for its beaches – but she chose to venture along the mountain trails instead.
“The hike wasn’t about reaching the summit,” she said. “It was about seeing how many insects I could find along the way, looking into every crevice and every hole.” During that hike, she was stopped in her tracks by the sight of a pompilid wasp, a wasp that preys on spiders. “It’s moments like that that remind me why I keep going. It’s about enjoying every step of the journey, no matter what.”
Continue reading...