Creepy Wood Statues Are Both Beautiful and Horrifying

Imagine taking a romantic stroll through the woods with your lover. You two birdwatch, go for a swim in a lake, maybe have a picnic… then suddenly you see a human silhouette out of the corner of your eye, only on second glance that’s no human — it’s a forest monster. You and your hubby are absolutely petrified to witness this bizarre monstrosity.

At first you might scream. You might wet your pants. You might even book it, leaving your slower partner behind to be eaten by this strange wooden predator. However, if you stick around for a moment or two, you’ll discover that these are famous sculptures created by Japanese artist Nagato Iwasaki.

These masterfully created pieces of artwork brings up the same feelings The Scream or Guernica conjure — horror and nausea. Eerily creepy because of their human resemblance and featureless faces, Iwasaki’s sculptures are not sights you want to stumble across at night. Still his work inspires another emotion, one of awe. There is something beautiful about the mysterious, something attractive about the unsettling, and Iwasaki has perfectly captured that sentiment with his petrified Frankensteins.

So before you desert your boyfriend or girlfriend, sprinting back to civilization, take a moment to savor the wonder that comes from such creepy yet amazing art. Check out more photos below!