Not every artist begins with canvas, clay, or stone. Some begin with what others leave behind. For East Texas artist Ben Dempsey, founder of Bourbon Fish Artworks, the raw material for his sculptures is something most people would never imagine displaying in their homes: the delicate skeletal remains of fish.
In his hands, those intricate frameworks become elegant works of art that celebrate anatomy, craftsmanship, and the extraordinary beauty hidden beneath the surface of familiar aquatic life. Ironically, Dempsey’s artistic journey began while doing something he had loved since childhood - fishing.
“I’ve had a lifelong love for aquatic life,” he said. “About ten years ago, while cleaning some fish I’d caught, I found myself unexpectedly captivated by the beauty of the skeletal structures and how the different species were all unique in their intricate design. It sparked a simple but life-changing question: Could this become art?”
That question became the foundation of Bourbon Fish Artworks. What began as curiosity evolved through years of experimentation, trial and error, and countless hours of refinement into a body of work unlike anything else.
Today, Dempsey invites viewers to look beneath the surface - not only of the fish themselves, but also of the natural world that inspires his art.
Now featured at AOP Gallery Art on Postoffice in downtown Galveston, Dempsey’s creations stop visitors in their tracks. From across the room, the metallic sculptures appear almost fossil-like, their graceful lines and shimmering finishes looking equally at home in a natural history museum, a contemporary gallery, or the living room of a coastal home.
Only up close do viewers realize they’re admiring the meticulously reconstructed skeleton of a fish - a creature transformed into an enduring work of art.
The patience required to create a single piece is difficult to overstate. Each sculpture represents 20 to 100 hours of painstaking work.
Hundreds of tiny bones must be cleaned, preserved, organized, and reassembled with remarkable precision. The finished result is both scientifically accurate and artistically expressive, revealing an elegance that often goes unnoticed while the fish is alive.
Like many artists, Dempsey’s journey began not with a business plan but with curiosity. Along the way, he learned to recognize extraordinary beauty where others might see only waste.
His work quietly challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with the natural world and to appreciate the remarkable architecture hidden beneath scales and skin. Even the name Bourbon Fish Artworks carries part of that story.
“After finishing the deck I was building, I sat there - bourbon in hand, fishing line in the water - trying to come up with the perfect nickname for the spot,” Dempsey said. “It hit me: The Bourbon Fish Bar.”
When it came time to name his business, he said, “the identity was already there.” Today, the name reflects the same blend of craftsmanship, relaxation, and connection to the water that inspired his very first sculpture.
Creating each sculpture is a process that blends science, conservation, engineering, and artistry. Before a single bone can be assembled, the fish undergoes careful preparation using dermestid beetles - nature’s most meticulous cleaners.
The insects remove every trace of soft tissue without damaging the fragile skeletal structure, leaving behind pristine bones ready for preservation. For many people, learning about this beetle-cleaning process comes as a surprise.
“Most people have never heard of dermestid beetles,” Dempsey said, “and when I explain that they’re flesh-eating, their minds jump straight to movie scenes - like the scarabs in The Mummy.”
In reality, dermestid beetles have long been trusted by museums and taxidermists because they remove tissue with extraordinary precision while leaving delicate bone intact.
He is equally quick to dispel another misconception. Every fish used in his artwork has first been harvested for food or, on rare occasions, recovered after nature has already taken its course.
“For me, the artwork is a way of honoring what remains rather than wasting it,” he said. “Conservation and respect for the species are foundational to my process.”
Once cleaned, the real challenge begins. Unlike assembling a commercial puzzle with a picture on the box, rebuilding a fish skeleton requires an intimate understanding of anatomy and extraordinary attention to detail.
Every vertebra, rib, fin ray, and skull fragment must return to precisely the right location; a single misplaced bone can alter the graceful flow of the finished sculpture.
“The reassembly of the fish skeleton is definitely the most challenging part of the entire process,” Dempsey said.
“Gluing each bone back into place requires patience, precision, and a lot of problem-solving - especially when I’m trying to figure out where certain tiny bones originally belonged.”
He said he usually sees the finished artwork in his mind long before it exists, and holding onto that vision helps carry him through the painstaking hours. “An occasional sip of good bourbon certainly helps keep the patience flowing.”
His first catfish skeleton nearly defeated him. Forgetting to photograph the fish before disassembly left him staring at hundreds of tiny bones after they emerged from the beetle colony.
“I actually set it aside for a while because I wasn’t sure it could be salvaged,” he said.
Yet piece by piece, the skeleton slowly came together. The completed sculpture eventually found a customer who had been searching specifically for a catfish, reinforcing one of the artist’s favorite lessons: stay focused on the vision, even when the process feels impossible.
Once the skeleton has been painstakingly reconstructed, Dempsey shifts from technician to artist. Metallic finishes and carefully developed patinas elevate each piece beyond scientific display, allowing every fish to take on its own personality and presence.
Some shimmer with polished brilliance that highlights every anatomical detail; others wear rich, weathered finishes reminiscent of ancient relics recovered from the sea, suggesting stories that span generations.
The choice is never arbitrary. For commissioned pieces, Dempsey works closely with collectors to select finishes that complement the space where the artwork will be displayed. For gallery pieces, however, the fish itself often dictates the finish.
Smaller species tend to benefit from polished metallic coatings that showcase their delicate detail, while larger specimens can carry deeper patinas that enhance texture and character. Even experiments that don’t unfold as planned often lead to new artistic discoveries.
Now exhibiting in Galveston, Dempsey’s work feels especially fitting in a city whose identity has long been shaped by the Gulf of Mexico. Fishing, maritime commerce, hurricanes, conservation, and coastal ecosystems have all helped define Galveston’s history, making these skeletal sculptures feel both contemporary and timeless.
Although he calls East Texas home, Galveston has become something of a second home as well.
“My wife and I love spending as much time as possible on the island,” he said. “I’ve been told that I’m just a few percentage points away from being able to claim ‘Islander By Choice.’”
That affection is reflected throughout his work. Many of the species he preserves - redfish, sheepshead, drum, and flounder - hold special meaning for people who live and fish along the Gulf Coast.
“When I’m working with a coastal species, I’m not just preserving a skeleton - I’m preserving a part of the Gulf’s identity,” he said.
In many ways, that philosophy mirrors the city where his work is now exhibited. Galveston has always understood that the sea shapes more than its shoreline - it shapes its culture, its history, and its identity.
Through his sculptures, Dempsey encourages viewers to look beneath the surface of the fish themselves and discover the remarkable design hidden within. As he put it, “The Gulf Coast doesn’t just influence my work - it inspires it.”
Among his dozens of completed pieces, one sculpture carries a story that stands apart. Sometimes that distinction comes from a technical breakthrough; sometimes it recalls a memorable catch or a turning point in life.
Sometimes the connection simply defies explanation. For Dempsey, that honor belongs to the very first red snapper skeleton he successfully completed.
Long before he had perfected his techniques, he spent countless hours experimenting with beetles, preservation methods, and metallic finishes, teaching himself through trial and error. That first completed skeleton represented far more than a finished work of art.
“It was the bridge between an idea and a finished work of art,” he said. “Seeing it come together confirmed that this crazy concept I’d been tinkering with actually had potential.”
The sculpture carries another layer of meaning as well. Dempsey recalled catching that very fish - the water, the fight, the exhilaration of bringing it aboard. Those memories became permanently entwined with the finished artwork.
“It wasn’t my most valuable piece in terms of price,” he said, “but it was the one that proved Bourbon Fish Artworks could be something real.”
While Dempsey’s technical skill is immediately apparent, his work ultimately invites something deeper than admiration for craftsmanship. By preserving what would ordinarily disappear, he encourages viewers to reconsider their assumptions about beauty, permanence, and the natural world.
“I want people to recognize the beauty that exists in places most people never think to look,” he said.
“A fish skeleton is something most folks would throw away without a second thought, yet when it’s cleaned, reassembled, and given new life, it becomes something striking and meaningful.”
That philosophy quietly echoes throughout every piece he creates. Looking beneath the surface is no longer simply part of his artistic process; it has become his artistic mission.
Each sculpture asks viewers to pause long enough to notice what nature has been quietly revealing all along.
“If my work encourages someone to pause, appreciate the natural structure of a fish they’ve caught a hundred times, or see value in something they once ignored, then I’ve done more than create a piece of art - I’ve shared a perspective.”
Experiences well beyond his studio have shaped Dempsey’s perspective. Military service gave him the opportunity to travel throughout the United States and around the world, deepening his appreciation for the remarkable beauty found in every landscape and beneath every body of water.
Those experiences reinforced something he had begun to discover while fishing years earlier: extraordinary beauty often reveals itself only to those willing to look a little closer.
As Bourbon Fish Artworks continues to gain attention, Dempsey shows no signs of slowing down. Recently, he began experimenting with reconstructing crab exoskeletons after a customer suggested the idea.
The first completed crab is now on display at AOP Gallery, and the enthusiastic response has encouraged him to continue exploring new species.
He’s also experimenting with suspending reconstructed fish skeletons in resin, creating the illusion that they are floating in water inside their shadow boxes.
Meanwhile, plans are underway to expand his dermestid beetle colony, allowing him to preserve much larger fish without processing them in sections.
Like the skeletons themselves, Bourbon Fish Artworks continues to evolve. For collectors, Dempsey’s work offers something genuinely uncommon - pieces that exist at the intersection of art, biology, conservation, and craftsmanship.
Every sculpture reflects not only dozens of hours of meticulous labor but also a profound respect for the remarkable architecture found throughout the natural world.
At its heart, Bourbon Fish Artworks is about more than fish skeletons. It is about curiosity. It is about craftsmanship. It is about honoring life rather than wasting it.
It is about preserving memories as much as preserving anatomy. “Every piece begins with a species that meant something to someone,” he said.
Whether it represents “a personal best, a memorable catch, or simply a fish they’ve always admired,” his goal is to give it “a second life through art,” transforming what might otherwise be overlooked into something that inspires wonder.
Perhaps that’s the greatest lesson hidden beneath the surface of Ben Dempsey’s work. Nature has always been the master artist. We simply don’t always take the time to notice.
His sculptures invite us to slow down, look a little closer, and discover that some of the world’s most remarkable beauty has been there all along - waiting beneath the surface.
For those who feel drawn to Dempsey’s work, his meticulously handcrafted fish-skeleton sculptures are available through AOP Gallery Art on Postoffice (2201 Postoffice Street in Galveston), directly from Bourbon Fish Artworks, or by contacting the artist for commission pieces.
Because each sculpture is extremely delicate, delivery is arranged individually rather than through standard shipping. Prices range from about $50 to more than $3,000, depending on the species and complexity, and no two pieces are ever alike.
Collectors can explore available works or begin a commission by visiting bourbonfish.com, following @bourbonfishart on Instagram, or reaching out to Dempsey at ben@seastonell.com.