UTS Library Creative in Residence launch event: an eclipse of moths

Step into the natural wonder of an eclipse of moths, the UTS Library’s 2024 Creative in Residence project by Vita Cochran. 

Vita’s intricate hand-embroidered moths have quietly transformed the Library into a space of curiosity and reflection. These delicate creatures are hidden throughout the Library, inviting you to explore and uncover beauty in the unexpected. 

Join us for an evening with Vita as she shares insights into her residency, her creative process, and her fascination with these mysterious creatures. Enjoy drinks, an artist talk, and an immersive after-hours adventure. Pick up a map to embark on your own mothing quest—find the twenty-four moths, and dive into hands-on creative zones. Whether crafting, playing, or simply wandering, there’s something delightfully surprising waiting for you. 

Open to all UTS staff, students, researchers, members of the GLAM sector, and the public.
Please RSVP by Wednesday, 29 January 2025, for catering purposes. 

Event details

• 5:30 PM: Drinks, grazing and chitty chat 
• 6:00 PM: Conversation with Vita Cochran 
• 6:40 PM: Choose your own adventure
  

About an eclipse of moths 

An ‘eclipse’ is the collective noun for moths—a fitting title for this project, which highlights their quiet presence. Vita Cochran has stitched lifelike moths onto upholstered furniture and hidden them throughout the Library, blending the timeless craft of embroidery with the rhythms of modern life. 

While creating these works, Vita engaged students in conversations about creativity, AI, environmental change, and the symbolism of moths. These reflections are captured in The Moth Diaries, excerpts of which are displayed in the Library, with the full version available in the exhibition space. 

Each of the twenty-four moths invites a moment of connection to the natural world and a chance to uncover the unexpected in familiar spaces. 

About the artist 

Vita Cochran, originally from Aotearoa and now based on Gadigal land, is a textile artist whose practice spans intricate hand embroidery, large-scale abstract hangings crafted from second-hand garments, and functional art pieces. Her work reimagines traditional crafts, blending historical techniques with bold, contemporary themes to celebrate creativity and the handmade.