Episode 59 - Stella Chrone

There is a strong possibility you have never encountered anyone quite like Stella Chrone. She is not only striking and intelligent, but has also lived a life shaped by experiences far outside the familiar paths most of us know. In this episode, you’ll hear the remarkable story of her journey—one defined by courage, discipline, and the determination to leave a highly insular upbringing and forge her own place in the world. Today, Stella leads a more conventional life, yet her artistic practice remains anything but ordinary. Through her work, she invites us into a fascinating and unexpected realm, creating intricate glass bio-sculptures designed as living environments where ant colonies can thrive and evolve over decades. Her work challenges our perceptions, revealing ants as intelligent, highly organized, and even empathetic creatures. Stella guides us through this extraordinary intersection of art, science, and life. Ants became both her collaborators and her mirror. Organisms capable of near-telepathic coordination without centralized control or hierarchy, they embody an alternative model of collective existence. Drawing on Rupert Sheldrake’s theory of morphic resonance, along with her own lived experience, Stella designs crystalline vessels whose internal geometries interact dynamically with their inhabitants. Over months and years, the colonies excavate these forms from within—transforming metaphor into biological reality. Her recent works, including Sands of Time (2025), a four-foot hourglass reflecting irreversible ecological time, and Origin (2025), an organic vessel with winding pathways and viewing chambers, have already entered significant private collections in Miami. Stella Chrone lives and works in Miami, Florida. Her next exhibition is at The Living Room gallery, Apr 12, 2026, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM.