Japanese scientist/fisherman/artist Iori Tomita is the man behind this curious collection of see-through animals, which form part of his project called ‘New World Transparent Specimens’. The specimens are created using a preservation and dyeing technique usually only used for scientific purposes, such as examining the skeletal system and the underlying biological makeup. Tomita uses an enzyme to dissolve the natural proteins in the flesh. He then injects red dyes into the harder bones and blue dyes into the softer cartilage, thus highlighting usually unseen internal structures. The dead creature is then preserved in a jar of glycerin. Tomita started to create these transparent specimens as pieces of work to help people feel closer to the wonders of life and say that there are no limits to how people may interpret his work – as academic material, a piece of art, or even an entrance to philosophy. Magic!
