(Photo: Adam Carter/CBC)
Ankixa Risk is an artist and taxidermist in Hamilton, Ontario. She specializes in taking dead rats and posing them in human situations with appropriate clothing and props. Risk uses rats donated by pet rat owners and rats from a local reptile supply company. In the latter case, she skins the rats and returns the meat for reptile consumption. The CBC describes her work:
That presentation varies – one of those “forever friends” is a rat riding a bike. Another is a graffiti artist rat holding a spray can. Next to that is a mounted, mythical Jackalope – a jackrabbit with antelope horns.
“I just realized I’m wearing the same skirt as she is,” she says, pointing to another one of her stuffed buddies.
(Photo: Casual Taxidermy)
Risk sees taxidermy as a great hobby and creative outlet. That's why she's now teaching classes on the subject open to the public. She calls these lessons Casual Taxidermy. The CBC reports that they're popular:
In some circles, taxidermy is even growing in popularity and becoming a bit of a fad. Her classes are small, but keep selling out. She’s even heading to the east coast this spring to teach there, too.
-via Nag on the Lake