She was working part-time at Levi’s, and he was looking for a new pair of jeans. What started as a chance encounter led to months of texting back and forth, and a year later, Vivian Tham and Jivan Jothi went on their first date, marking the start of their relationship.
But little did Jivan know that he got together with a girl with a rare hobby: Taxidermy, the preservation of dead animals.
“I’ll admit—I was a bit surprised. It’s not exactly something you hear every day,” he shared. “But once she started sharing her perspective, I saw how much depth there was in it. It wasn’t morbid or strange; it was thoughtful, respectful, and very interesting.”
Moved by her immense passion and meticulousness in the craft, Jivan decided to wholeheartedly support Vivian when she launched her taxidermy studio, Black Crow Taxidermy & Art (BCTA), while also juggling his day job as a commercial airline pilot.
“I wanted her to know that someone believed in her as much as she believed in what she was doing,” he said.
Getting into taxidermy
Vivian’s fascination with dead insects and animals began in her childhood, when she and her brother would collect insect corpses, including beetles, butterflies, and dragonflies back at their home in Ipoh, Malaysia.
That early curiosity led her to study zoology in Sarawak, where she first came across taxidermy. Through her degree, she gained a deep understanding of anatomy and animal physiology, and spent years experimenting, seeking mentorship, and honing her craft.
Eventually, she moved to Singapore, where she now works as a full-time medical technologist with Mount Pleasant Veterinary Group. After her 9-to-5, she swaps her lab coat for the tools of a taxidermist.
But zoology isn’t the only route to becoming a taxidermist. According to Vivian, there is no single, formal path, or dedicated university degree for the craft. Most practitioners, like her, pick it up through a mix of related interests, such as biology, art, or conservation.
Successful taxidermists need to possess a strong understanding of animal anatomy, a respect for the subjects they are working with, steady hands and patience like that of a surgeon, a willingness to learn through trial and error—and of course, the right tools and materials.
It started as a home business
Vivian first started Black Crow Taxidermy & Art in her home, revealing that she had spent just under S$10,000 to set up her workspace and purchase the required tools, preservation materials and basic equipment.
She then moved into a public studio at Pearl Hill Terrace in 2021, spending approximately S$14,000 together with Jivan to launch the studio in Chinatown.
Given that BCTA was Singapore’s first commercial taxidermy studio, Vivian and Jivan had to build the business from scratch. “There wasn’t any playbook we could follow—we were literally writing the playbook and paving the path. This took a significant amount of time to figure out,” explained Jivan.
Despite this, the couple successfully launched their studio, where they offer six forms of preservation:
Demystifying taxidermy
One of the biggest challenges Vivian and Jivan had to grapple with was the taboo associated with the dead. According to Jivan, taxidermy is not as mainstream in Asia as it is in the West, and the business is often mistakenly associated with superstition and questioned for its ethics.
However, the couple emphasised that all of their specimens are sourced ethically and do not harm animals for their work, either naturally deceased or donated.
Moreover, in Singapore, it’s illegal to possess or work with protected or endangered species without having the proper permits. As such, BCTA does not deal with endangered species and operates on a strict no-catch, no-kill policy.
For Vivian, taxidermy is more than technique; it is a combination of science, art and a way to present quiet respect for the deceased animal. She finds a profound beauty in preserving an animal’s form, and it honours a life that’s as fleeting and easily forgotten.
“It’s my way of saying: this life mattered. And it still has something to show us,” she added.
To break down misconceptions about taxidermy, BCTA also hosts educational workshops, such as insect preservation and animal dissection classes—a move that they said has helped reshape public perceptions of the craft.
“For many, it’s their first time seeing death framed in a thoughtful and beautiful way, and that experience often sparks meaningful conversations about nature, memory, and conservation,” Vivian said.
In addition, Jivan explained that selling taxidermy alone would not be enough for the business to survive due to its strong niche and small market share in Singapore. By offering workshops, it has also created another revenue stream for BCTA.
Black Crow Taxidermy & Art is seeing growing demand
Today, BCTA has grown from a two-person show into a lean team consisting of full and part-time staff, as well as long-term volunteers.
And it has seen growing demand. According to Vivian and Jivan, the studio has been receiving regular inquiries not just from individuals but also from institutions, educators, and creative collaborators.
The couple also shared that the studio has seen year-on-year increases in workshop attendance and product sales, with revenue growing steadily since its inception. In addition, they have also bagged collaborations with Heritage Board and national institutions and museums such as the Singapore ArtScience Museum.
BCTA has also moved from its Chinatown studio to a bigger space at Sin Ming, following news of the redevelopment of Pearl Hill Terrace and in a bid for a more “spacious, well-equipped environment” as they take on bigger and more complex projects.
However, both Vivian and Jivan still hold their day jobs and run the studio on the side. Though they have ambitions to eventually operate the business full-time, the couple remains pragmatic on their moves.
Although they are encouraged by the increasing demand, they would only consider going full-time once the studio stabilises financially.
But it’s not just about money—it’s about making sure the studio can support not only our livelihoods, but also our vision, our ethics, and the community we’ve built around it.
For now, we’re contining to invest our time and energy into BCTA, and we’re excited about what the future holds. Going full-time is definitely on the horizon—it’s just a matter of the right moment, not if, but when.
Jivan Jothi, managing director and co-founder of Black Crow Taxidermy & Art
In the short term, Vivian and Jivan aim to expand their team and the range of workshops and hands-on experiences to cater to broader audiences. They are also developing a curated retail collection featuring ethically sourced specimens, natural history-inspired art and home decor pieces.
In the future, the couple expressed their goal to launch a series of mini museums, which they described as small, thoughtfully curated spaces featuring taxidermy pieces and natural history curios, serving as both educational tools and artistic displays.
In addition, Vivian and Jivan also plan to introduce a certified and recognised taxidermy course that aims to standardise ethical practices and nurture the next generation of taxidermists and natural history artists, which will be the first of its kind in the SEA region.
“We envision a larger permanent space that serves as both a public gallery and a working studio, while continuing to form partnerships with museums, conservationists, and artistic communities. To reshape public perception of taxidermy—making it accessible, relevant, and inspiring for all,” the couple shared.
- Learn more about Black Crow Taxidermy & Art here.
- Read more stories we’ve written on Singaporean startups here.
Featured Image Credit: Black Crow Taxidermy & Art
