The heartbreaking beauty of butterfly mosaics

In a forest outside of Bangui, Central African Republic, men make their living hunting tiny, delicate creatures. With trained eyes, they spot the butterflies, swoop in with huge nets, and capture the dancing insects in a way that preserves each specimen's unique beauty. The day's catch is then sold to artists.

Butterfly hunter Didier Memikata, 48, gathers a haul of butterflies. | (REUTERS/Joe Penney)

Mosaics made from the butterflies' wings are a popular art form in the country. The two-dimensional works tell visual stories by layering the appendages that once gave the insects flight. The resulting, almost sculptural pictures are both vibrant and heartbreaking. Below, images of the hunters and artists who make these living tiles.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

A finished work of butterfly wing art is displayed, representing historic figures in Central African Republic's history. | (REUTERS/Joe Penney)

Dieupourvoit Dack, 20, hunts for butterflies in Botimbo village, south of Bangui. | (REUTERS/Joe Penney)

Butterfly hunter Devigny Ndakpa-Dack, 52, holds his prize. | (REUTERS/Joe Penney)

An artist cuts up butterfly wings for mosaics in Bangui. | (REUTERS/Joe Penney)

An apprentice works on a mosaic. | (REUTERS/Joe Penney)

Didier Memikata holds out butterflies he caught in Botimbo village. | (REUTERS/Joe Penney)

A finished work of butterfly wing art, showing the Central African Republic flag, is displayed in Bangui. | (REUTERS/Joe Penney)