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Artist Turns Scrap Metal into Delicately Crafted Insect Sculptures

By Emma Taggart on June 21, 2019

Scrap Metal Insect Sculptures by Edouard Martinet

Photo: Xavier Scheinkmann

Many children develop a short-lived fascination with bugs, but French artist Edouard Martinet’s childhood curiosity has stayed with him to this day. When he was 8 years old, a teacher introduced him to “the wonder of insects,” igniting an interest in ants, wasps, beetles, and other creepy crawlies. Today, the talented artist turns his fascination into art with incredible insect sculptures crafted from scrap metal.

Martinet uses a variety of found waste materials such as rusted forks, typewriters keys, car headlights, umbrella ribs, and bike chains. Each piece begins as a sketch, followed by a rummage through his collection of “junk” to find the perfect pieces. Many sculptures can take several months, or even years to complete, as Martinet would rather wait until he finds the perfect part rather than compromise his vision. The objects are then held together with screws, resulting in stunning works that measure between 30 centimeters and 2 meters long.

Martinet turns umbrella arms into spindly insect legs, bike headlights into beady eyes, and spectacle arms into outstretching antennae. Each piece features an incredible amount of detail, resulting in realistic metal depictions that look as though they could come to life and scurry across the floor.

Scroll down to see some of Martinet’s insect sculptures and find more of his work on his website.