If you look closely at artist Sourabh Gupta’s flowers, you might think you’re holding a fresh flower picked from a garden— you could even convince yourself of the faintest hint of lilac, or jasmine.
In reality, Gupta’s flowers have spent no time outside and require no soil, rain, or sunshine. This is because his lifelike flowers are actually crafted from a number of everyday items, including paper towels, food coloring, and parchment paper.
Gupta, who was born in India and currently lives in New York, designed his first paper flowers in his youth when he was tasked with decorating his church. Using all items at his disposal, including receipt paper, the artist discovered that he could transform nearly anything with a bit of effort and imagination.
“Where I grew up, if you wanted something, you had to make it yourself. It’s so profoundly within our blood that we don’t see a dead end anywhere. All my life, that’s how I’ve worked,” Gupta said in an interview with the New York Times.
As of late, Gupta’s realistic flowers have gained him attention from famous designers, including fashion icon Tory Burch. Burch tasked the artist with creating flowers for a Met Gala gown. Gupta astonishingly prepared 320 paper daises in three days for the dress to be ready for the red carpet.
Check out his incredibly detailed flowers on his Instagram below.
