THE BACKSTORY
NATURE’S COLORS AND SHAPES SPRING TO LIFE IN STUNNING
INSECT SCULPTURES.TROPICAL PLANTS aren’t abundant in
the northern latitudes of Montreal,
Canada. Nor are the planet’s most
diverse animals, insects. Even so,
Montreal-based artist and photogra-
pher Raku Inoue finds a way to show-
case both with his colorful portraits of
insects and other animals made from
flowers, leaves, twigs, seeds, and stems.
“Insects have always been symbolic
for me,” says Inoue, who grew up in
Japan. Each summer his grandmother
would leave the door open to cool their
house in the countryside near Hiro-
shima and welcome in dragonflies, aninsect that she believed represented
the presence of her late husband.
Now Inoue makes dragonflies, bee-
tles, ants, and whatever else inspires
him, using materials from his own
backyard. He takes leftover rose petals
and baby’s breath from nearby florists,
and occasionally people will send him
plants from other parts of the world
to challenge his creativity. During a
recent trip to the American South-
west, he wanted badly to see a scor-
pion. When none appeared, he did the
next best thing: He collected twigs and
seeds, and made one. —DANIEL STONEPROOF
Inoue brought an orchid mantis to life with orchid petals.14 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC