Leah Danze's Insect Worlds Invade MASS Gallery, Austin

Leah Danze's solo exhibition "In the Belly of the Beetle" at MASS Gallery in Austin, Texas, presented a surreal ecosystem where humans, giant insects, and hybrid creatures coexist in a state of bewilderment. The show, on view from August 29 through September 6, featured paintings on tile and oil pastel panels, along with a performance on opening night. Danze, who is also an art therapist and activist, draws on childhood fascination with insects and references the Diploptera Punctata, a cockroach species that produces a milk-like substance. The works explore themes of otherness, desire, and repression, engaging with psychoanalytic theory and political critique. Collaborators included artist and musician Terri Mash, who created a large wooden sculpture-instrument, and performers Aída Reyes, Hamidreza Fallahi, and Plumegirl. Hundreds of tiny bells, sewn collectively by Danze and collaborators, emulated cicada noise. The exhibition was reviewed by Glasstire, with photographs by Tova Katzman.