Mantra’s Murals Collect Enormous Butterflies in Building-Size Specimen Cases

French artist Youri Cansell, a.k.a. Mantra (previously) continues to brighten neighborhood streets and large cities alike with his vivid insect murals. Drawing on a fascination with nature and its preservation, he creates monumental specimen cases on buildings around the world, filled with a wide variety of butterflies.

The artist recently completed his largest mural to date in Miami, positioned on the rooftop of the Southeast Financial Center building. Nestled into the surface of a characteristically organized case, a range of colorful butterflies rest alongside the structure’s utility systems.

an aerial view of a person painting a giant rooftop mural of realistic butterflies — Detail of progress on mural in Miami

The mural features numerous species, including the endangered Miami blue butterfly that’s native to South Florida. “It’s always a pleasure to paint in Miami, a city that thrives on its vibrant mix of people and cultures—much like the butterflies in my mural, which represent a diverse selection of specimens,” the artist says.

Additional recent projects include a giant glass-fronted display on the side of a building in Brooklyn and a towering, narrow composition in downtown Houston. Find more on Mantra’s website and Instagram.

a giant mural on the side of a multistory building of realistic butterflies arranged as if in a specimen case — Houston, Texas

a giant mural on the side of a building in downtown Brooklyn of realistic butterflies arranged inside the windows as if in a specimen case — Brooklyn, New York

a giant mural on the side of a brick building of realistic butterflies arranged as if in a specimen case — Crans-Montana, Switzerland

a mural of a large butterfly on the side of an old brick building, photographed at dusk — Rombas, France

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