How connected are we to nature? This photographer gives a startling visual answer

We are much more similar to nature than we think. This is demonstrated by the wonderful photographic compositions of Annemieke Tonnaer

How connected are we to nature? This simple question sparked a striking artistic journey by Dutch photographer Annemieke Tonnaer, whose latest project, Human = Nature, explores the unexpected visual and structural similarities between humans and the natural world.

Specializing in conceptual photography, Annemieke challenges the conventional idea that humans are separate from nature, often believing ourselves to belong more to culture than to the environment.

In truth, we are deeply interwoven with the natural world, and our dependence on it is evident in every aspect of our lives—from food to materials, from aesthetic inspiration to high-tech fields like biomimetics, where nature serves as a blueprint for man-made systems.

Reflecting on our relationship with nature is essential

The Human = Nature project was born from this realization: reconnecting with nature isn’t just poetic—it’s practical, necessary, and deeply human. Understanding this connection can help us improve how we live with and within the natural world.

Our bodies and nature are one

Annemieke’s images are stunning digital collages in which human bodies seamlessly blend with natural elements. A tongue becomes half flesh, half bark. A back morphs into the trunk of a tree. These transformations create a powerful visual and symbolic connection, revealing just how much we mirror the world around us.

Sometimes, animals also appear—emerging from or merging into human features, as in one image where an animal becomes an integral part of a human face. The result is poetic, thought-provoking, and slightly uncanny.

 

SOURCE: Annemieke Tonnaer