Insect Wings Mimic Beautiful Flowers in ‘Mimesis’

Mimesis – Precognitus Christium, 2014. Chromogenic print. Format 180 x 180 cm (70.9 x 70.9 in)

Mimesis – Lubon Tranquillitatis, 2014. Chromogenic print. Format 180 x 180 cm (70.9 x 70.9 in)

You might think these are photographs of beautiful flowers but look closely — very closely — and you’ll see that these are, in fact, insect wings that looks remarkably similar to flower petals.

Seb Janiak, a Paris-based photographer, combs through antique stores and taxidermist collector shops for weeks on end to find wings which he finds suitable for his ongoing series, Mimesis.

Mimesis is a Greek word meaning ‘imitation’ and in Janiak’s series, he explores the complex co-evolutionary mechanism of mimicry. He spends countless hours perfecting each HD shot of insect wings and then pieces each image together to form a flower full of ‘petals’.

Janiak, a professional photographer for 25 years, creates his series without any special effects or retouching, but rather uses techniques of analog photography, namely superimposition and photomontage, to achieve these results.

Mimesis was first shown at the Photo Shanghai Art Fair last year and has since won third place at the 2015 IPA Lucy Award. So far, 22 pieces have been made for the series.

You can see more of Seb Janiak’s work on his website and Facebook.

Mimesis – Tradescantia Ganymedia, 2012. Chromogenic print. Format 180 x 180cm (70.9 x 70.9 in)

Mimesis – Precognitus Christium, 2014. Chromogenic print. Format 180 x 180cm (70.9 x 70.9 in)

Mimesis – Ornithogale Venusiais, 2012. Chromogenic print. Format 180 x 180cm (70.9 x 70.9 in)

Mimesis – Lubhyati Solitudinis, 2014. Chromogenic print. Format 180 x 180cm (70.9 x 70.9 in)

Mimesis – Hibiscus Trinium, 2012. Chromogenic print. Format 180 x 180cm (70.9 x 70.9 in)

Mimesis – Fecunditatis, 2014. Chromogenic print. Format 180 x 180cm (70.9 x 70.9 in)

Mimesis – Aphyllae Maleakht, 2014. Chromogenic print. Format 180 x 180cm (70.9 x 70.9 in)

Mimesis – Turritopsis Neptunus, 2012. Chromogenic print. Format 180 x 180cm (70.9 x 70.9 in)

All images © Seb Janiak

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