Points of Reference 
Original works Lesha Koop

​     As a kid, the pufferfish, from the Diodontidae family, was one of the coolest creatures in my world. I have always had a soft spot for spiky forms.
     When thinking of Nature's spiny forms, what comes to mind? Rose thorns, cactus spines, chestnuts' pointed shells? Stegosauruses, sea urchins, pangolins or horned lizards? Nature has come up with many ways of saying “Back off!” or “I'm hitching a ride!”
     Think of having to pull burrs out of your hair after playing in a summer meadow. Trees and plants often grow seeds with spikes

and hooks. Carrot seeds have rows of tiny hooks on their outer shells. Tribulus terrestris, also known as devil's weed, has spiked seeds that can puncture bicycle tires (tribulus originally meant caltrop in Latin, referring to both the weapon and the plant).  The durian is a large fruit with a tough, pointed husk from southeast Asia. Its name derives from duri, the Malay-Indonesian word for spike.
   Various nudibranch (sea slug) species have brightly coloured flagella on their bodies they use to store poisons from their toxic lunches. Porcupines have barbs on the ends of their quills which carry bacteria that infect their unfortunate victims.
    Prongs also display prowess and prominence. Male deer, elk and other ungulates grow antlers or horns that gain more tines or rings each year. Male rhinoceros beetles have large horned facial carapaces, similar to rhinoceros horns. After all, ya gotta fight and impress the ladies of your species!
    I hope these sculptures ensnare the viewer with their references to natural phenomena. These geometric forms have been inspired by one of nature's favourite tricks for protection, supremacy and propagation.

Exhibited works