Search
Items tagged with: treeLibrary
When Trees Become Art (12 Photos)
Content warning: From monumental wooden sculptures in Mexico to carved tree trunks in Ghana, artists and nature join forces in unexpected ways. This collection features 12: roots forming geometric patterns in Hong Kong, trees turned into libraries in the Netherlands, scul
From monumental wooden sculptures in Mexico to carved tree trunks in Ghana, artists and nature join forces in unexpected ways. This collection features 12: roots forming geometric patterns in Hong Kong, trees turned into libraries in the Netherlands, sculptures that cradle saplings, and murals that play with real foliage. Each piece reveals how trees can transform into art that feels alive.
More: When Street Art Meets Nature (40 Photos)
1. Come Into Light — Daniel Popper in Tulum, Mexico
A monumental wooden figure with intricate carved details opens its chest to reveal a passage filled with greenery, blending sculpture and landscape in a striking way. More photos!: Come in to Light – Wooden Sculpture By Daniel Popper In Tulum, Mexico
🔗 Follow Daniel Popper on Instagram
2. Banyan Roots — Hong Kong
The roots of a banyan tree spread across a paved walkway in ordered, grid-like formations, creating a natural pattern that feels designed by hand.
3. Caring Hand — Eva Oertli & Beat Huber in Glarus, Switzerland
A giant sculpted hand emerges from the ground, gently cradling a growing tree in its palm, symbolizing protection and care for nature.
4. I’m Home — Wendy in Mexico
A black-and-white portrait painted inside the hollow of a tree trunk, giving the impression of a face living within the tree itself.
5. Fake Views — SMOK in Antwerpen, Belgium
A mural of a woman holding scissors appears to trim a real tree, blending painting and nature into a playful trompe-l’oeil. More photos!: Fake Views – By SMOK in Antwerpen, Belgium
🔗 Follow SMOK on Instagram
6. Give — Lorenzo Quinn
White sculpted hands rise from the grass to cradle a young tree, creating an image of support and responsibility toward the environment.
🔗 Follow Lorenzo Quinn on Instagram
7. In Your Hands — Adrien Martinetti in Ajaccio, France
A mural shows large, realistic hands holding soil while a real tree grows upward, merging painted illusion with living nature.
🔗 Follow Adrien Martinetti on Instagram
8. Open Air Library — Ruurlo, Netherlands
An old hollow tree trunk is transformed into a community library, with small wooden-framed shelves holding books inside its bark. More photos!: Tree Became a Library (+9 More Book Artworks)
9. Remnants of the UK’s Tallest Tree — Sculpture by Simon O’Rourke in Wales, UK
The trunk of Britain’s former tallest tree is carved into a towering hand reaching skyward, turning what remained of the tree into a symbol of resilience. More about it and photos!: From Tallest Tree to Towering Sculpture: The Giant Hand of the UK
10. Tree of Life — Aburi Botanical Gardens, Ghana
Detailed carvings cover the trunk of a tree, depicting human figures intertwined, turning the bark into a story of life and community.
11. Vortex at Little Milford Woods — Jon Foreman in Wales, UK
A spiral of autumn leaves wraps around the trunk of a tree, creating a vortex pattern that flows from the forest floor upwards. The installation highlights natural cycles with minimal intervention. More!: 9 Leaf Sculptures That Stir the Soul in the Forest (Art by Jon Foreman)
🔗 Follow Jon Foreman on Instagram
12. Nadine and the Chartreuse Respite — David Zinn in Ann Arbor, USA
A small character sits against the trunk of a drawn tree, using a patch of bright green groundcover as the foliage above. The figure holds a book while leaning on a purple stone, with scattered leaves placed around the scene. The drawing is integrated into the garden path, blending chalk illustration with real plants. More!: Happy Art by David Zinn (10 Photos)
🔗 Follow David Zinn on Instagram
More: Nature Is Everything (11 Photos)
Which one is your favorite?
When Street Art Meets Nature (40 Photos)
When street art meets nature, the results are stunning. Some artists blend their murals seamlessly with the landscape, while others use real plants to bring their work to life.
In Ecuador, El Decertor painted a mural that merges with the natural surroundings. In Martinique, Nuxuno Xän turned a tree trunk into part of a painted figure. In New York, OGMillie created a floral mural that brightens the urban space. In Brazil, Fábio Gomes Trindade’s portraits use real bougainvillea as hair, while in Poland, Natalia Rak painted a girl appearing to water a living tree.These works show how street art and nature can come together in unexpected and beautiful ways.
More: 18 Stunning Land Art Creations by Jon Foreman: Nature’s Beauty in Stone Patterns
1
By El Decertor – In Imbabura, Ecuador (2 photos)2
Flower Power by Fábio Gomes Trindade in Goiás, Brasil (3 artworks)Raising Awareness: Street Art as a Conservation Tool
Nature-inspired street art can be a powerful means of drawing attention to endangered species and emphasizing the importance of preserving natural habitats. By using their talents, street artists can become advocates for environmental conservation and ignite conversations about our shared responsibility to protect the planet.3
By Nuxuno Xän – In Fort De France, MartiniqueInspiring Sustainability: Environmental Messages in Street Art
Street art that incorporates natural elements can also raise public awareness about environmental issues and promote sustainable living. These awe-inspiring creations can encourage people to reflect on their impact on the environment and take action to reduce their carbon footprint, recycle, and preserve nature.4
In NicaraguaCreating a Sense of Place: Street Art Trails and Tourism
Street art can be used to design nature trails, where visitors can explore the environment while admiring artistic masterpieces. These trails promote tourism, allowing visitors to learn about the local ecosystem, culture, and history while appreciating the art. The fusion of street art and nature can foster a deep connection with the location and enhance the overall experience.5
Flower mural by OGMillie and Floratorium in New York (5 photos)6
In Pondicherry, India 2 photos7
By Robson Melancia in Dois Córregos, Brazil8
9
10
By Fauxreel in Toronto, Canada11
Street Art by David Zinn (3 photos)12
“UMI” Sculpture by Daniel Popper in Lisle, Illinois 4 photos13
Cuteness overload! Chalk Art by David Zinn (6 photos)14
Legend about Giants by Natalia Rak in Białystok, Poland15
16 Photos – Street Art by Michael Pederson in Sydney, Australia16
Street Art by Pejac – A Collection17
By Jonna Pohjalainen – In Turku, Finland18
By Wild Drawing in Athens, Greece19
20
21
22
Street Art by Oakoak – Calvin and Hobbes23
87 Perler Bead by Pappas Pärlor -Collection 124
25
26
By Dr Love at Upfest – In Bristol, England27
Moss Graffiti by Carly Schmitt28
The Green Carpet – In Jaujac, France 6 photos to see it all29
Small Girl and small apple – By Oakoak30
31
32
Street Art by JPS – A Collection (+40 photos)33
Garden Hot Air Balloon – By Oakoak34
Street Art by Vinie – A Collection (24 photos)35
The sleeping beauty – In Picardie, France36
“Beautiful Love” by Alter OS in Mexico City37
Come in to Light – Wooden Sculpture By Daniel Popper In Tulum, Mexico38.
Clothespin Sculpture by Mehmet Ali Uysal in Belgium.
39.
The Caring Hand by Eva Oertli and Beat Huber in Glarus, Switzerland.
40.
Kindergarten children dropped seeds in the crack of the sidewalk to see what would happen.
More: 8 Inspiring Sculptures Seamlessly Integrated with Nature
Which one is your favorite?
Login • Instagram
Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.www.instagram.com
Tree Became a Library (+9 More Book Artworks)
Content warning: Which one is your favorite?
In the quiet Dutch village of Ruurlo, a centuries-old chestnut tree has been transformed into something unexpected: a public library. Masterfully adapted by carpenter Rene Bruns, this open-air book haven now offers shelves of literature nestled inside the gnarled remains of the historic tree. With its glass-fronted wooden bookcases seamlessly embedded in the trunk, it’s become a beloved local spot—and a global inspiration. In this post, we begin with the Ruurlo tree library and will later explore more stunning examples where books and creativity meet in public space.
More!: 11 Public Book Spots We Love (Do it Yourself?)
1. The Tree Library — Rene Bruns in Ruurlo, Netherlands
This open-air library is built into the trunk of a giant, weathered chestnut tree, with eight custom-fit wooden cabinets inset into the wood. Each cabinet is protected by a framed glass door and filled with community-donated books. The curved shape of the tree trunk was preserved, giving the structure a natural, flowing design that blends into its rural surroundings.
2. Bookshelf Building — JanIsDeMan in Solnechnodolsk, Russia
A full side of an apartment building is transformed into a 3D bookshelf mural. Painted with impressive depth and shadow, it features shelves of oversized books in Russian, a Matryoshka doll, a castle model, and even a glass. The work celebrates literacy and identity through cultural references.
More by JanIsDeMan!: 8 Happy 3D Artworks by Jan Is De Man That Will Make You Smile
3. Book Benches
Benches shaped like open books line this public square. Each one features printed text across the “pages,” giving visitors the illusion of reading while they sit. The design encourages a literal pause for thought.
4. Nadine’s Evening of Adventure — David Zinn in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
A chalk drawing by David Zinn under a flowerpot transforms a simple corner into a magical vignette. A small mouse sits beneath the pot, lit as if it’s a lamp, reading a book in quiet solitude.
More by David Zinn: Street Art by Happiness Maker David Zinn (21 Photos)
5. The Bibliomoto — Mobile Library in Basilicata, Italy
This converted three-wheeled van has become a moving library, stocked with shelves of books and protected by a tiled roof. Known locally as the Bibliomoto, it brings literature to the streets of southern Italy.
6. Jimbocho Book Alley — Tokyo, Japan
An outdoor aisle of bookcases in Tokyo’s Jimbocho neighborhood, known as a haven for secondhand booksellers. Here, books line the walls of narrow alleys, inviting passersby to stop and browse.
7. Life is an Open Book — Brad Spencer in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
A brick sculpture shows children emerging from a vertical wall, climbing and playing as if breaking free from the structure. It’s both a metaphor for education and a statement on public imagination.
8. Upside Down Reader — Zabou in Moutiers, France
Painted on the underside of a building ledge, this mural by Zabou features a woman absorbed in a book, lying in a field of dandelions.
9. It’s Easy, Just Open a Book — HERA in Vincennes, France
This mural wraps around a bookstore facade, with a large red fox curled protectively around a child who reads inside its tail. A second child holds on to the fox’s tail, and text on the wall reads: “It’s easy. Just open a book.”
More!: HERA – Crafting Stories on Walls Around the World
10. The Boat Library — Puglia, Italy
An old fishing boat is upcycled into a seaside bookshelf. Set against the Adriatic coast, the boat’s painted interior holds dozens of books, inviting visitors to “take a book, leave a book.”
Which one is your favorite?
11 Public Book Spots We Love (Do it Yourself?)
From seaside coves in Italy to quiet backstreets in Japan, books have found their way into every corner of the world—not in shelves, but on wheels, in boats, in birdhouses, and even inside bronze sculptures. On this World Book Day, we’re celebrating the creative ways communities across the globe have made reading accessible, visual, and beautifully public. Here are 11 imaginative public book spots that combine charm, art, and the joy of sharing stories—no library card needed.
More birds!: 10 Street Art Masterpieces That Will Make You Fall in Love with Books Again
The Boat Library in Puglia, Italy
A flipped fishing boat becomes a coastal bookshelf along the Adriatic Sea in Southern Italy. Bright green and red, it invites visitors with painted phrases encouraging reading, love, and peace. The bottom reads, “Take a book, leave a book.”
Biblioteca Mini
This minimalist mini-library stands directly on the beach sand, shaped like a white house with blue windows and a red roof. The word “Biblioteca” is clearly visible, welcoming sunbathers to read.
Bibliomoto in Basilicata, Italy
Known as “Il Bibliomotocarro”, this three-wheeled mini-truck is a mobile library covered with glass panels and bookshelves, topped with a tiled roof. It travels to remote villages, bringing books to children and elderly readers.
Lakeside Sculpture Library
A sculptural bronze-like lighthouse stands by a lake—its interior packed with books. The weathered patina gives it a historic feel, blending public art and literature seamlessly.
Wagon Library
Mounted on red wooden wheels, this bright red wagon is packed wall-to-wall with books. Located in a public park, it blends rural nostalgia with literary abundance.
Jimbocho Book Alley in Tokyo, Japan
Stretching along a quiet alley in the heart of Tokyo, rows of bookcases filled with second-hand Japanese literature form a literary corridor in this famous bookstore district.
Little Library
This mini library near a lake blends perfectly with its wooded surroundings. Blue trim and shingled roof give it a cozy, handcrafted vibe, inviting quiet book exchanges.
Free Books Box in the UK
Simple but powerful, this cardboard box labeled “Free Books – Help Yourself” rests casually on the sidewalk, filled with thrillers and novels for anyone to grab.
Children’s Library
This dollhouse-like “Cherry Tree Children’s Library” is filled with colorful children’s books and tiny doll furniture. A literal storybook home.
Forest Edge Library in Nova Scotia, Canada
Nestled in a piney landscape, this deep-blue book hut holds everything from cookbooks to comics. It’s part of the global Little Free Library network.
Little Free Library
This wooden, house-shaped box with a natural finish and black trim is a classic example of a registered Little Free Library. Tucked among green shrubbery, it blends perfectly into its leafy surroundings.On World Book Day, these public bookshelves remind us that literature doesn’t just belong in formal libraries—it thrives in wagons, beaches, alleys, and handmade wooden boxes. Each one carries not just stories in their pages but the spirit of community, sharing, and freedom of access. Wherever you are in the world, there might be a book waiting for you around the next corner.
More: Cutest Bookstore on Wheels (7 photos)
Which one is your favorite?
