BECORNS

David M. Bird is an artist, toy designer, and the creator of Becorns. He is that rare adult who seems to have held onto the sense of wonder and possibility that the world seemed so full of when he was a kid.

Dave began honing the skills he would eventually need to create Becorns long before he had the idea for them. Working as a toy designer for LEGO in Denmark, he developed action figures called Bionicles and learned about character design and how storytelling can spark the imaginations of kids and adults alike.

Years later, having left LEGO to be closer to his family in the U.S., Dave wondered if he would ever have a job that fun again. One day, sweeping his mom’s driveway, he looked down at the pile of acorns and sticks and had a realization: He could build his own world entirely from natural materials. He was completely captivated by the idea and devoted all his free time to experimenting with every twig or seed that caught his eye.

Dave’s early creations looked like insects, and he called them Stickbugs. Many of his experimental creatures came into focus as he fitted their parts together—“I never knew what I was building until I was finished.” Some resembled Bionicles fashioned out of branches and leaves. Eventually, Dave began making acorn people, and as he refined their aesthetic, he started referring to them as Becorns.

Along the way, Dave developed his photography skills, meticulously planning, staging, and shooting scenes of Becorns in the wild—always with character and story foremost in mind. A breakthrough came in January 2022, when his “Becorns | Best of 2021” video went viral on Instagram. Within a week, he quit his freelance toy design job and went to work on Becorns full time.

The photos, videos, and tiny sculptures that make up this exhibition offer a glimpse into the wondrous world Dave continues to create in his backyard today. We hope you enjoy them, and we encourage you to dive deeper into the magical, miniature realm of Becorns.

— Danny Lichtenfeld, Director

This exhibition is presented in connection with the Brattleboro Festival of Miniatures.