On first glance, the work of Singapore-based artist Keng Lye looks like photos. In them, bright and delicate fish, as well as other aquatic creatures, swim through clear water. Sometimes there are plants also.
But what you'll begin to notice is that they inhabit incredibly small spaces, like tiny bowls and cups, and there are no filtration systems to be seen. What's going on here?
If you didn't know better, it would seem that his artwork consists of animals kept in alarmingly small spaces!
But don't worry. No animals were ever harmed in the creation of Keng Lye's work. That's because none of the animals you see are real.
But like the artist who carved an inviting-looking box of cash out of wood, he's certainly fooled a lot of people!
Using resin, acrylics, and a serious amount of talent and patience, he creates amazingly lifelike sculptures that look like fishbowls and aquariums. But because they're artificial, he can make them as fantastical as he likes!
Take a look at his work below and see if you would be fooled by this incredible work.
Looking at Lye's pieces, you might think these are real fish in real water.
And you might be thinking that it's pretty cruel to keep animals confined and crowded like this. Animals need space!
After all, you'd never keep a fish, much less a turtle like this, in a tiny little bowl.
His creations have caused concern with casual viewers who glanced at his work and drew their own conclusions — without looking any deeper.
And, like everything else, making a conclusion without knowing what's really going on is a bad idea.
Because in truth, there are no actual animals here.
These sculptural paintings are created using layers of resin and acrylic.
The animals are built up using layers of color suspended in the clear resin, making a three-dimensional image inside.
That means that nothing here is real. The plants and animals are painted, and the "water" is actually a solid!
But that hasn't stopped people from accusing Lye of animal cruelty.
"Many people have said that I am cruel to keep live fish in a tiny bowl and some even think that I poured resin over live fish, in the name of art," he says.
But these accusations are really just a testament to how incredibly realistic his art is.
Besides the resin and acrylic, he also uses other real items, like the plastic bag holding this sculpture.
Other pieces incorporate twigs and dried leaves. In this creation, you can also see how the resin has been sculpted to look like ripples in water.
Other pieces get even more sculptural with 3D elements like this turtle. While it looks real, this is all artificial.
Because he's in control of each element, Lye can create stunning compositions that celebrate nature, but these will last forever!
Their three dimensional quality also lets them change in appearance in different lighting, casting shadows and creating different illusions.
And depending on the container he's creating in, he can make all sorts of scenes, from complex crowds to simple, single "portraits."
He loves to explore different types of fish, each with their own unique characteristics.
The detail is stunning.
It's simply amazing to see the tiny, frozen worlds he's created.
You can see even more on Facebook, as well as on DeviantArt.
And if you like fooling people, SHARE Ken Lye's realistic art with your friends!
