continuing her botanical studies using transparent plant specimens arranged in underwater landscapes, artist luna ikuta extends her ‘afterlife’ film series, this time working with belladonna lilies and gerbera daisies. dubbed ‘afterlife: belladonna’, the new project merges the worlds of land and sea, transforming the flowers into anemone-like forms mystically swaying in dark waters.

transparent flowers settle within mystical aquatic garden in luna ikuta's 'afterlife: belladonna'
full view of belladonna 
all images courtesy of luna ikuta

 

 

stripping away their hue and chlorophyll, luna ikuta has made the plants transparent, creating a surreal, enigmatic presentation. grown in los angeles, the belladonna lily is a bulbous perennial featuring large clusters of up to 4-12 scented, trumpet-shaped, pink flowers, that grows naturally during summer. here, both the lily and daisy take a new form, appearing like alien life resting upon a rock arrangement of obsidian stones.

transparent flowers settle within mystical aquatic garden in luna ikuta's 'afterlife: belladonna'
detail of gerbera daisy

 

 

the textural details and gossamer-thin vascular networks are visible in three-dimension, beautifully preserved and visible to the naked eye. the artist successfully suspends our disbelief in thinking these may be computer-generated, however, the details reveal non-replicable intricacies of floral anatomy that are lively as they are in their natural form. luna ikuta’s work opens a new way of plant preservation and floral art, and disrupts traditional practices of aquascaping.

transparent flowers settle within mystical aquatic garden in luna ikuta's 'afterlife: belladonna'
oxygen beads on belladonna lily

transparent flowers settle within mystical aquatic garden in luna ikuta's 'afterlife: belladonna'
belladonna lily

transparent flowers settle within mystical aquatic garden in luna ikuta's 'afterlife: belladonna'
detail of belladonna lily

transparent flowers settle within mystical aquatic garden in luna ikuta's 'afterlife: belladonna'
gerbera daisy

transparent flowers settle within mystical aquatic garden in luna ikuta's 'afterlife: belladonna'
gerbera daisy

transparent flowers settle within mystical aquatic garden in luna ikuta's 'afterlife: belladonna'
close up of belladonna landscape

luna ikutas transparent plants merge land and sea 9
belladonna lily and betta

luna ikutas transparent plants merge land and sea 10
gerbera daisy and betta

luna ikutas transparent plants merge land and sea 11
belladonna lily and betta

luna ikutas transparent plants merge land and sea 12
gerbera daisy and betta

 

 

project info:

 

name: afterlife: belladonna
artist: luna ikuta

 

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom