Still Life, Memento Mori - Hannibal and Clarice Ed. 1 of 8

For lovers of literature and symbolism, this is a statement piece of still-life art.

I love a good psycho-thriller, and Silence of the Lambs is certainly a classic. It wasn't until I started editing the image, that I began affectionately referring to the skulls as Hannibal and Clarice. Possibly the large Moth population was a trigger. Who knew there were so many beautiful varieties of moths? As well as symbolising metamorphosis, the moth seeks the light in darkness. Not unlike the gorgeous books in the image (thanks Valentine's Antiques), which teach us that we can seek knowledge and wisdom in order to 'see the light.'
The skulls are a sharp reminder that our time here is short. Don't waste it.

Printed by a Master printer.

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Lauren Starr is an Australian photo-media artist creating narrative works at the intersection of myth, history, and land. Her practice centres on women’s lived and inherited experiences, drawing on fairytales, colonial histories, and personal ancestry to reimagine familiar stories through a contemporary lens.

Working with staged photography and digital compositing, Starr constructs painterly tableaux that sit between reality and myth. Her images often incorporate photographed fragments of her own paintings and textures, creating layered works that feel both symbolic and embodied.

Recent works explore themes of re-wilding, instinct, and the quiet reclamation of power, particularly through reimagined female archetypes and narratives from the Victorian goldfields.

Starr is a finalist in the 2026 Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize and has been recognised through the Olive Cotton Award and Head On Photo Awards. She is the recipient of the Bluethumb Art Prize (Photography + Grand Prize, 2022), and her work is held in public collections including Parliament House Melbourne and Bendigo Art Gallery.