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Colorful Shadow Figures Reveal the Superhero within Every Child’s Imagination

Artist Jason Ratliff illustrates the power of imagination through something as simple as a shadow. His whimsical works feature children posing, as their exaggerated silhouettes take on the fantastical appearance of superheroes like Batman, Ironman, and Spider-Man. These fictional characters, created in a colorful and low-poly style, represent dreams and goals. “It's about how a kid can be anything they want to be,” Ratliff says of his aptly-titled series, Super Shadows.

Originally, the artist had created a single piece titled Hero, which depicts a young boy casting a sturdy “Superman” shadow. Without any real intention of expanding on the series, the incredibly positive response this one illustration received encouraged Ratliff to create an entire collection around the interpretive idea of children with lager than life aspirations.

Ratliff is currently selling his Super Shadows series through the online shop Curioos.

Jason Ratliff: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to use images by Clment Delangue.

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met and Manager of My Modern Met Store. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art where she earned her BFA in Illustration and MFA in Illustration Practice. Sara is also an embroidery illustrator and writer living in Seattle, Washington. She runs Bear&Bean, a studio where she stitches pet portraits and other beloved creatures. She chronicles the creativity of others through her website Brown Paper Bag and newsletter, Orts. Her latest book is Threads of Treasure: How to Make, Mend, and Find Meaning Through Thread, published in 2014. Sara’s work has been recognized in Be Creative With Workbox, Embroidery Magazine, American Illustration, on Iron and Wine’s album Beast Epic, among others. When she’s not stitching or writing, Sara enjoys planning things that bring together the craft community. She is the co-founder of Camp Craftaway, a day camp for crafty adults with hands-on workshops in the Seattle area.
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