I didn’t think these incredible optical illusion sculptures were real at first

We love a good optical illusion here at Creative Bloq, and we’ve seen everything from impossible geometry to static shapes that appear to move. But these optical illusion sculptures are something else.

From a distance, this artist’s pieces looks like detailed sculptures of birds, from macaws to ospreys, kingfishers, hummingbirds and cardinals. But moving closer reveals that they’re made from some surprising materials.

The sculptures are the work of Thomas Deininger, who says he makes things “to observe and process the curious, perverse and sublime beauty of our world”. His recent sculptures, which has been displayed at various galleries, including at Art Miami, are made mainly from non-recyclable and non-biodegradable materials, including abandoned toys.

These materials make his pieces mesmerising but also slightly disturbing since the beautiful animal species turn out to recreated from waste and disembodied dolls’ heads. And while the pieces find a new use for this waste, it also serves as a commentary on the impact that our waste has on the natural world, conjuring up images we’ve all seen of birds picking through rubbish dumps and eating plastic.

Thomas has used the same technique for other members of the animal kingdom. Check out this piece below, which he says is an inch longer than the largest recorded stripped bass ever caught.

For more mind-bending illusions, see the checker shadow illusion. And check out how researchers are using AI to make optical illusions.