Green and gold paper sculpture of tropical leaves and butterflies rising from a crumpled gold base, Plunder I by Clare Celeste Börsch

Detail of tropical leaves and orange butterflies in the sculpture, Plunder I by Clare Celeste Börsch

Leaves and butterflies spiralling upward against a pale background, Plunder I by Clare Celeste Börsch

Side view of the sculpture's twisting form on its gold base, Plunder I by Clare Celeste Börsch

Close-up of the crumpled gold-foil base with an engraved sailing ship, Plunder I by Clare Celeste Börsch

Close-up of layered tropical leaves and butterflies at the top of the sculpture, Plunder I by Clare Celeste Börsch

Exhibited at Homo Faber’s Island of Light, curated by Es Devlin, in 2026 in Venice, Italy.

This work examines the colonization of the Americas by Portuguese and Spanish powers—a theme connecting my Latin American upbringing with my current European home. The composition descends from swirling greens and butterflies into a sea of gold, across which two Spanish colonial ships sail, visualizing how vibrant ecosystems were transformed into wealth for the colonial powers.

Papier-mâché,collage, imittaion gold leaf, wire, gold paper

Plunder I - Paper Art Sculpture