mantra

Mantra, born Youri Cansell in France, is a muralist known for highly detailed depictions of moths, butterflies, and other insects rendered with the precision of natural-history illustration. Self-taught and deeply interested in entomology, he frequently paints species native to the places where his murals are installed, grounding each work in local ecology. Many of his best-known compositions present insects as if displayed in specimen cases, creating a trompe-l’oeil effect that merges beauty with a meditation on biodiversity loss. His work stands out for its combination of scientific observation, painterly control, and public scale.