Butterfly Art

“I have met an innumerable amount of people who just want to tell me what the butterflies mean to them.” – David Kracov
 

SN

The context and idea of humankind in harmony with nature is a continuing theme in SN’s works. His collections change through compositions and materials, from photography to painting, icons to animals; however, one thing remains constant, the conversation between humans and nature.

For many years SN has been using mounted butterflies to paint his canvases with colors found only in nature. However, he has taken the metaphor of the butterfly to new heights in his most recent collection. Starting in the framework of photography, the artist photographs his models in nature, interacting with the grasses, the fences, and the fields. These models are equipped with rifles or arrows to become the keepers and protectors of the fields in which they stand. 
 

The final product is a black and white photo with only the natural hues of the blues and yellows of the butterfly’s wings that bring life and color to the canvas. The butterflies seem to have fluttered into place, dressing the warrior so that she prepared for the battle of protecting the environment and the animals. SN’s collection is a metaphorical warning combining natural materials and human forms to show how we, as humans, must now act in order to protect the only resource that we truly have.

Explore SN’s beautiful symbolic butterfly art exclusively at Eden Gallery.

David Kracov

Butterflies are a common thread that binds David Kracov’s work. The artist often uses one or multiple hand-painted butterflies that seem to flutter in place, adding beauty, color, and deep meaning to each individual artwork.

“I am obsessed with colors and butterflies and how the two work in synchronicity.” David Kracov uses his contemporary butterflies to paint his sculptures with optimism and joy. Kracov’s sculptures are a study of how applying colors can create a sense of movement. The philosophy of the same name inspired Kracov’s wall sculpture, The Butterfly Effect. It states that one small change or action can have a major impact on the future. Making the artist wonder if everyone acted in good faith, making a single good gesture, what vastly unimaginable effects it could have around the globe.
 

Kracov spent almost four years designing Reflections as his tribute to those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, in the terror attack on New York City. As someone who spent much of his youth in and around the city, he was deeply affected by the events. “The only way I knew how to deal with my thoughts was to create not just a sculpture, but a statement.” At first glance, the viewer sees the colors and majesty of all the butterflies, but upon longer views, they see the reflection of what once was. Kracov created 2,977 butterflies to honor each of the lives lost, allegorically sending their souls home. 

Plum Ulysse 

The French artist Plum uses colorful feathers to create works of art that often pay homage to symbols iconic in the world of art. Sometimes these works are tributes to 21st-century artists, and sometimes to powerful metaphors, but all share the unique signature of Plum’s recognizable medium.

The Ulysses butterfly is one of the best known in the world, both for its magnificent color and for its extraordinary swallowtail wings. In some cultures, a blue butterfly is seen as a wish granter. When it comes to your presence, you have the unique opportunity to make a wish. The butterfly’s meaning changes throughout different cultures around the world, but it remains strongly symbolic throughout. Plum uses his unique artistic point-of-view to create the Ulysses butterfly using his colored feathers as the medium, staying true to his style but also playing on the lightness and etherealness that the feather and the butterfly share. 
 

Jonas Leriche
 

The contemporary photographer Jonas Leriche takes inspiration for his butterfly art from around the globe. Originally from Belgium, he has traveled the world and worked with other visual artists to transform unconscious ideas into captivating and alluring images.

La Renaissance is one of Jonas Leriche’s most paramount works of art. Personal to the artist, this artwork is significant as it marks a rebirth where Leriche underwent a transformation, both personal and artistic. The butterflies in this artwork are the perfect metaphor for this phase as the butterfly represents life and new beginnings. Just like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, this artwork symbolizes Leriche emerging into a new phase of mixed-media art.

To be Enlightened is to bring upon intellectual or spiritual light. It often marks a point when a person is undergoing a change, breathing in light, and letting go of heavy things, similar to a butterfly rising. From each angle of the photograph, the shimmer on the butterfly’s wings varies slightly, creating a completely new hue and changing the image in its entirety. The longer you immerse yourself in the butterfly artwork, the more details you uncover, metaphorically discovering a new part of yourself, revealing your own enlightenment.
 

Explore Jonas Leriche’s magically contemporary photography collection here.
 

Butterfly Art

Across cultures and continents, many people have held a fascination with butterflies. They evoke nostalgia, deep-thought, and a feeling of pure joy. Beyond their physically beautiful attributes is the deep meaning that their life and sighting holds. Although their bodies of work are diverse, David Kracov, SN, Plum, and Jonas Leriche are all connected through their butterfly artworks. Explore Eden Galleries Butterfly Art Collection.