French painter Youri Cansell aka Mantra is fascinated by nature. He’s created vibrant paintings and murals of moths and butterflies, executed with a perfectionist’s level of scientific detail. His butterflies were the subject of our discussion with him for a profile feature on WePresent, and he revealed why being a naturalist is just as important to him as being an artist. His work has been exhibited as public art on streets as far-flung as New York, Mexico City and Thionville.
“As a child, I was lucky to spend a lot of time in my family’s garden. I’m sensitive to all the small living things I found there, like birds, insects and spiders. Butterflies feed my curiosity, and they built my childhood dreams.”
Stories with Mantra