Since 2017, the 33-year-old artist has carved out more than 200 bug carcasses and built them into stunningly sophisticated mechanical artworks. Each is displayed on a black base with a dome glass over it to protect it from dust and dirt.
Besides insects, marine creatures, like crabs, also inspire his creation. One of Tan's artworks features a steampunk box crab marching toward the land, ready to fight others for energy resources.
Popular among the community of steampunk enthusiasts, although still small in China, Tan's creations have been exhibited in galleries in Beijing and Changsha. When sold online, the price ranges from 600 yuan ($87.3) to 6,000 yuan.
Originally coined in the 1980s, the term "steampunk" refers to a subgenre of science fiction that is inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery, usually within a dark postapocalyptic future. The aesthetic has been popularized in books, films and video games. It has also inspired many artists, one of whom is Mike Libby from the United States. He combines real preserved insect specimens with mechanical components, in order to create whimsical biocybernetic sculptures.
