When Charles Darwin arrived at the Galápagos Islands aboard the Beagle, he had no idea he was about to encounter the key to his theory of evolution. On each island, he captured various animals to study, including the many species of finches flying around.

On one island, the finches had large, powerful beaks suited for cracking seeds. On another, he found finches with slender beaks adapted for catching insects. Darwin discovered that all of these finches shared a common ancestor, but due to differences in available food, they had evolved in different ways to survive.

I sculpt the heads of the finches as a kind of knight’s helmet, symbolising the defence of evolutionary theory. When Darwin first published his ideas, he faced strong criticism. This series continues to evolve, just like the theory itself – and is still in progress.