Carapace is a representation of the naturalist and illustrator Maria Sibylla Merian and her daughter Dorothea Graff. In 1699, Merian and her daughter travelled from Amsterdam to Dutch Suriname to study insects in their natural environment. Paradoxically disembarking in the tropics, the women surely appeared as strange creatures themselves, mimicking what they came to observe, trussed in their ornate European carapaces.

Building on her 2021 work, Lampert expanded her exploration of the Merian women to include aspects of their expedition. Her 2026 solo exhibition presents eleven sparkling moths, catalogued by the Merians during their time in Suriname, depicted flying in the moonlight. The work reflects the women’s achievements in entomology and scientific illustration.