Pupajs looks forward to better tomorrow

In June 2025 our paths crossed. I found a Cetonia aurata half-lifeless on a children’s sandbox. A little water brought him back to life. The sclerotization of his delicate wing membranes hadn’t finished properly, and because of that Pupi was a flightless beetle. 

I felt an urge to care for him—and so we became friends, beginning a remarkable chapter of life that gifted me with the shimmering beauty of colors of his body and many new insights.

We also sank deeply into the present moment—watching a beetle nibble a piece of banana and letting time simply dissolve was a truly magical experience.

This personal story of a profound bond between a beetle and a human gave birth to Project Microcosmos, which supports home care for beetles with physiological disabilities that would otherwise leave them as nothing more than food for birds.

The painting shows Pupík himself—with his imperfect wings, the very imperfection that allowed us to know each other so intimately.

Golden beetles connect us to the treasure of our own soul—they show their gold to the world, and so can we.