ABOUT GOTHAM TAXIDERMY
Photos by Louis Rakovich
Meet Divya.
A unique combination of science and style, Divya Anantharaman is New York City's premiere taxidermist. An award winning licensed professional preserving animals with honor and compassion for clients ranging from museums, designers, gallerists, and collectors. Her specialties are birds, small mammals, and anatomic anomalies, with a select number of commissions open for pets. Her work seeks to combine the demonstrative aspect of scientific presentation with the symbolic, introspective nature of art, using taxidermy to engage diverse audiences with conservation. She is passionately curious about the untapped potential of this scientific art, and what happens when we surrender to enchantment with nature.
She left the corporate fashion industry to pursue her love of natural history as the resident taxidermist at the Morbid Anatomy Museum, and has since built a following creating taxidermy, skeletal, and entomology displays, along with jewelry and wearable art, for anyone who finds wonder in the natural world. She was recently featured in the award winning documentary, “Rearranging Skin”. In addition to running her own business, she works part time at the esteemed studio of George Dante, which specializes in museum taxidermy and historic conservation. Here, her passion for nature grows through helping preserve animals and exhibits for future generations. She is also a board member of the New England Association of Taxidermists and Garden State Taxidermy Association. She was awarded 2019 Best of Category Professional Division for both Birds and Mammals at the New England Taxidermy Championships, won second place in the Professional division at the 2017 World Taxidermy Championships, and is the coauthor of the book "Stuffed Animals: A Modern Guide to Taxidermy."
Highlights of her client list include various natural history museums, Tiffany' & Co, Neil Patrick Harris + David Burtka, Columbia University, and artists who have shown at the Venice Biennale. She is passionate about the human-animal relationship, engaging diverse perspectives, and demystifying taxidermy for beginners through workshops and lectures in a safe, inclusive environment. In her commitment to conservation, she works with various organizations like the Audubon Society, and runs a rescue. All animal parts are legally and sustainably obtained.
Press
Full press list coming soon! In the meantime, check out this video by Samantha Lee of NY Mag.
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