OCTOBER 19, 2022. KATE MOTHES

All images © Christophe Guinet,

Trees have an incredible ability to adjust to their surroundings, slowly sending roots across walkways, growing through fences, or merging with other trunks. Artist Christophe Guinet, who works as Monsieur Plant, draws inspiration from nature’s ability to flex and modify in a series of uncanny, elegant sculptures titled Twist.

Since childhood, outdoor walks fueled Guinet’s creative imagination. “It was during my walks in the forest that I was inspired for this project,” he tells Colossal. “By observing the way trees grow, we found unusual, unique, humorous shapes,” prompting him to consider the surprising ways nature can adapt. Using plaster to form the shapes like knots or spirals, he then covers the surfaces with pine bark to give the appearance of real trees and documents each work in wooded surroundings. […]

More: Trees Are Tied Up in Uncanny Knots in Monsieur Plant’s Playful Sculptures