8 Optical Illusion Street Art Pieces That Play Tricks on Your Mind
Content warning: Which one is your favorite?
From giant beetles to teacups spilling off balconies, this curated collection showcases 8 stunning murals and street art illusions that masterfully interact with architecture, public space, and perspective. Created across different countries by artists with a gift for 3D realism and clever deception, these works blur the boundary between flat surfaces and the real world. You’ll find a swimming horse, a shape-shifting building façade, and a kitten curled up in the corner of a worn-out structure—each a visual surprise you’ll want to look at twice.
More birds!: 8 Beautiful Artworks That Seem to Grow From Nature
“Tea Time” by Yip Yew Chong in Chinatown, Singapore
A man pours tea from a giant porcelain teapot into cups that appear to float down the side of a heritage building in Singapore’s Chinatown. Below, a woman hangs laundry as the stream flows past her, interacting with real architectural elements like windows and balconies.
About and more photos!: Look out for this uncle pouring tea from the third storey (15 Photos)
“Betta Fish” by Sébastien ‘Sweo’ and Nikita in Abbeville, France
A massive yellow betta fish bursts through a torn wall illusion, surrounded by floating turquoise blocks. The fish’s flowing fins and detailed textures create a powerful illusion of motion and depth.
🔗 Follow Sébastien ‘Sweo’ on Instagram 🔗 Follow Nikita on Instagram
“The Giant Beetle” by Odeith in Portugal
What was once a dome-shaped concrete structure is transformed into an enormous beetle crawling along the rooftop. The perspective only works from a specific angle, making it a classic example of Odeith’s anamorphic illusion mastery.
More by Odeith!: Master of Illusion!: 19 Jaw-Dropping 3D Graffiti Pieces by Odeith
“Horse in the River” by Nikolaj Arndt in Neustadt, Germany
This sidewalk chalk piece features a brown horse partially submerged in a realistic-looking pool of water, drawing in passersby. A woman is seen petting the horse, heightening the illusion of interaction.
🔗 Follow Nikolaj Arndt on Instagram
“Paint Roller” by Cosimo Cheone Caiffa in Milan, Italy
A man appears to be painting a real crosswalk using a roller in this mural. The hand, roller, and part of the arm extend out from the wall, creating the effect that the artwork continues into the street.
More!: 23 Amazing 3D Murals by CHEONE!
🔗 Follow Cosimo Caiffa on Instagram
“It’s All About Perspective” by Shozy in Solnechnogorsk, Russia
This mural uses trompe-l’œil techniques to add impossible cube-like balconies to a flat wall. From the right vantage point, the building appears to have a complex 3D structure popping out of its surface.
See how he did it and from different angles!: Stunning Optical Illusion Mural by Shozy Changes the Way You See Street Art
“Sleeping Kitten” by WA in Lima, Peru
Painted across two columns and the ground, this mural of a curled-up kitten appears to be nestled into the corner of an old structure. Its soft colors and fuzzy fur enhance the realism.
“Purple Viper” by SCAF in Lorraine, France
A purple snake coils its way out of a damaged wall, its scales hyper-detailed and its eye locked on the viewer. A real person appears to be riding it in the image, intensifying the illusion of depth and danger.
More!: 26 Amazing 3D Paintings by SCAF!
These 8 illusion murals are more than just eye candy—they’re brilliant examples of how artists use public spaces as a canvas for creativity and deception. Whether it’s a teacup spilling over a wall or a snake springing from rubble, these works invite us to look again—and then look closer.
More: When Street Art Meets Nature (40 Photos)
Which one is your favorite?
11 Beautiful Artworks That Seem to Grow From Nature
Some artworks don’t just sit in nature—they become part of it. Around the world, artists are crafting sculptures and murals that seamlessly merge with their surroundings, using trees, vines, and landscapes as living elements of their work. These 11 pieces don’t fight against nature; they grow with it.
From giant figures emerging from forests to street art that transforms urban greenery into playful illusions, these eight stunning creations prove that art and nature can exist in perfect harmony.More: 8 Inspiring Sculptures Seamlessly Integrated with Nature
1. “Sleeping Child” by El Decertor (Imbabura, Ecuador)
A mural by El Decertor in Imbabura, Ecuador, depicting a young child sleeping against a concrete wall, with creeping ivy blending into the painting as a natural blanket.
2. “UMI” by Daniel Popper (Illinois, USA)
“UMI” by Daniel Popper at the outdoor tree museum The Morton Arboretum in Illinois, USA—an intricate wooden sculpture of a woman with tree roots weaving through her body, set in a green landscape.About and more photos: “UMI” Sculpture by Daniel Popper in Lisle, Illinois
3. Street Art by David Zinn (Ann Arbor, USA)
A street art piece by David Zinn in Ann Arbor, USA, featuring a small green character with a real grass mustache blending into the pavement.More!: Street Art by Happiness Maker David Zinn (21 Photos)
4. Flower Street Art by Fabio Gomes Trindade (Goiás, Brazil)
A mural by Fabio Gomes Trindade in Goiás, Brazil, featuring a girl’s face with a real tree forming her vibrant pink afro hairstyle.More by Fabio Gomes: How Fábio Gomes Turns Trees into Hair: Stunning Murals in Trindade
5. Sidewalk Flower Experiment
A beautiful example of accidental nature-inspired art—kindergarten children dropped seeds into sidewalk cracks, leading to a spontaneous floral pathway.More photos and about: Kindergarten children dropped seeds in the crack of the sidewalk to see what would happen
6. “Nature Rings” by Spencer Byles (Deep Forest, France)
A series of woven circular sculptures by Spencer Byles made from natural branches, blending seamlessly with the surrounding forest.
7. Willow Archer by Anna & The Willow (UK)
A woven willow sculpture of a female archer by Anna & The Willow, set against a wooded path.
8. Wire Mermaid by Martin Debenham (UK)
A wire sculpture by Martin Debenham of a mermaid sitting on a rock, with the intricate metalwork mimicking flowing water.
9. Snake in the Green — Hyères, France
A plain gray cinderblock wall in a hidden grove was completely transformed into a lifelike snake by street artist Rest4. The viper, rendered in vibrant greens, blues, and yellows, emerges from the shadows of the forest floor. The before-and-after framing reveals the power of imagination to awaken forgotten spaces.
10. Fluentem Colos — Little Milford, Wales
Land artist Jon Foreman created this delicate, wave-like gradient in a woodland clearing using carefully arranged leaves. Starting in green and fading to deep orange, the sculpture blends with the forest floor in color, shape, and motion—appearing to ripple like wind through grass. More by Jon Foreman: 9 Leaf Sculptures That Stir the Soul in the Forest (Art by Jon Foreman)
11. Florinda Camila — “WA” Marko Franco Domenak in Lima, Peru
This creative mural cleverly incorporates a real bougainvillea bush as the hair of a painted woman. A monarch butterfly completes the peaceful scene, adding movement to this blend of paint and nature.🔗 Follow WA on Instagram
More: When Street Art Meets Nature (40 Photos)
Which one is your favorite?
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