"Back in my middle school days, I liked to breed insects in glass bottles, but they all died within a few days. I wanted to preserve them as specimens, but always failed," he recalls.

Besides bugs, painting is his other hobby. In his studio, Tan still keeps his drawings from primary school, which often feature different beasts inspired by anime and cartoons, such as Ultraman and Transformers.

Libby's artworks brought these memories back and opened a fantastic world to Tan. With no one to consult or learn from, it meant that Tan had to explore every step of making such creations from scratch.

Through online communities and forums, he learned the correct way to transform insects into specimens and how to reshape and decorate them into robotic bug sculptures.

He acquires dried insects from suppliers found through online shopping platforms. The smallest piece in his collection is a 3-centimeter jewel beetle, while the largest is a pirate crab.