The seasonal Natura Insects

Natural materials collages by Raku Inoue

在路上看到花草,嬌小而柔美的形象,我們將之想像成隨季節吹來的仙子,而日籍加拿大設計師井上羅來卻從它們細小的葉片與花瓣之上,看到了昆蟲的形態。花朵是頭、花蕊是觸鬚、不同植物的葉片重重交疊,長成了翅旁。昆蟲植物的姿態本來就奇妙而美好,想不到當兩者相遇共融後,更有著夢幻般的力量,讓人深切地感受到自然界的奧妙。

井上羅來本身從事不同媒體的創作,同時也是時裝品牌Reikan Apporel的主腦。他設計的衣服充滿了街頭藝術的氣質,剛陽味極濃,突然發表如此溫柔的一系列作品令人頗感意外。但追溯他的Instagram時便會發現他近來不斷在實驗以花卉作為主要媒體的創作方式,以落花瓣作拼湊畫、以盆栽來表現煙花祭等,最近才發展出花卉昆蟲系列來。

井上羅來造的花卉昆蟲,包括了甲蟲、獨角仙、蜻蜓、蝴蝶等,連有點可怕的大蜘蛛,在井上羅來的作品中,也變得優雅可親。

We sometimes imagine the tiny and fragile plants by the pavement as fairies that are brought by the changing weather; But to Raku Inoue, the Japanese Canadian designer, these miniature leaves and petals bear a resemblance to insects. He sees different parts of plants as the body of an insect: the flower is the head, stamen is the antenna, stacking leaves are the wings. Plants and insects are two beautiful wonders of nature. When the two natural wonders meet, they become a magical demonstration of the magnificence of the Mother Nature.

Inoue is a cross-media designer, he is also the owner and creator of Reikan Apparel. Although it may be difficult to correlate the masculinity of his streetwear design with the tenderness of his collage series, Natura Insects is a project he slowly developed by using flowers as an experimental creative medium. Visiting his Instagram page, there are quite a few works made of plants, for instance, fallen petals collages, or potted plants that depict fireworks.

Members of Inoue’s Natura Insects series include beetle, the Japanese rhinoceros beetle, dragonfly, butterfly, and even the scary giant spider. Recreating the image of these insects with plants, Inoue has given them an elegant and loving demeanor.

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