Venn Mandala

I had a studio was in a hundred year old house, with big draw and sash windows. Along came a queen wasp, who established her nest there. All summer I watched her drone progeny as they built it, behind the window glass, inches from my face. Each cell contained one egg, then larvae, the cell covered by a white membrane. In time, drone wasps would tear the membranes off, and the larvae inside would grind their heads against the cell walls, in circles, continuously. It was fascinating and grotesque, and inspired a series of drawings, the "Mandalas."