Our Story
Fascinated by the beauty and complexity of nature,
we patiently observe it as scientists
and strive to recreate it as artists.
Born on an Island
Long before Aix Taxidermy had a name, a studio, or a home in America, its story began in the heart of one of the world’s greatest centers of biodiversity and endemism.
We were born and raised in Cuba, the largest island in the Caribbean, a land known for its crystalline beaches, world-famous Habano cigars, and streets where American cars from the 1950s and 1960s are still part of everyday life.
Yet beyond these familiar images lies another Cuba: an extraordinary mosaic of landscapes and ecosystems, home to a remarkable diversity of plants and animals, many found nowhere else on Earth. Growing up surrounded by this natural richness gave us unusually broad exposure to wildlife from an early age.
Photo of Tomás: Raimundo López-Silvero
Shared Flyways
Although our story began far from the United States, many of the birds now entrusted to Aix were already familiar to us. Each year, numerous species that breed across North America migrate south along the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways to spend part of their lives in Cuba, making the island an important wintering ground for many of the same birds pursued by American sportsmen. In fact, more than 60% of the waterfowl species found across the continental United States and Canada have also been recorded in Cuba.
Every winter, the birds came to our island. Then we followed them north.
The Bird Artist
For Tomás, it began with two fish his father had preserved and hung on the wall of their modest home in rural Cuba. He was five or six years old. By ten, he was teaching himself taxidermy with little more than formaldehyde, instinct, and improvised materials: dried grasses for filling, blister packs for eyes. That fascination eventually grew into a career as a wildlife researcher and conservationist, contributing to over a hundred scientific publications along the way. Today, his combination of scientific knowledge, decades of field experience, and traditional craftsmanship is what brings Aix’s birds so close to life.
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Tomás M. Rodríguez-Cabrera. Photo: Jimmy ienner,Jr.
Yaira L. Hurtado. Photo: Jimmy ienner,Jr.
The Scenary Artist
For Yaira, it began in the gardens and parks of Havana, where every insect, frog, and flower sparked her curiosity about the natural world. Her curiosity led her to study biology and pursue a career in wildlife conservation, working on projects involving endangered species and their habitats. Alongside her scientific work, another path emerged as she discovered a passion for recreating nature by hand, mastering the use of clay, foam, and other materials to craft lifelike botanical and marine forms. Today, her scientific background, artistic instinct, and eye for texture, proportion, and composition shape the habitats surrounding each bird, supporting its story rather than simply decorating around it.
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Converging Paths
Our scientific careers brought us together in Cuba, united first by a shared passion for nature, and eventually by a vision for a life together.That vision took us far beyond the world we knew, through challenges, unexpected opportunities, and experiences that would change the course of our lives. Along the way, something neither of us had originally planned began to take shape: Aix Taxidermy, a distinctive approach to interpreting birds through science and art.
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Yaira and Tomás. Photo: Raimundo López-Silvero
Our Studio
Aix Taxidermy was born in the summer of 2024, initially operating from our apartment. It wasn't until December 2025 that we moved from those modest beginnings into our current studio in Niantic, Connecticut.
The surroundings have changed considerably since those early experiments in Cuba thirty years ago. Our core values and principles have not.
Our Shared Vision
Aix Taxidermy emerged where two paths converged: two scientists, two artists, and two partners in life, bringing different strengths to a shared vision.
We came to this craft through science: years spent studying how animals move, live, and belong to the landscapes around them. We see the natural world through the lens of what’s biologically accurate and at the same time beautiful to the human eye.
Tomás and Yaira. Photo: Jimmy ienner,Jr.
Atlantic Brant, Branta bernicla hrota Müller, OF, 1776.
What It Means for You
Today, every commission benefits from our shared principles and complementary strengths. Tomás focuses on the bird itself; Yaira shapes the natural world around it. Every decision, from anatomy and posture to habitat and composition, is guided by our understanding of how each species lives in the wild and how the client wishes to remember it. Together, we create a complete expression of two stories that become one: that of the bird and your own. Every detail is considered, and every finished piece is held to a standard we are proud to put our names on
Why “Aix”?
Our name reflects both science and artistry. Aix honors two of the world’s most extraordinary ducks: The Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) and the Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata). Rooted in Ancient Greek, the term originally described an unidentified diving bird noted by Aristotle. Pronounced simply as the letter X, the name embodies rarity, elegance, and distinction, while reflecting the same connection between science and artistry that defines our work. Just as these ducks are admired for their beauty, every piece we create aspires to the same level of refinement.
Mandarin Duck, Aix galericulata
(Linnaeus, 1758).
Wood Duck, Aix sponsa
(Linnaeus, 1758).
Where Natural History Meets Your Own.