You think you’ve seen it all, and then Takanori Aiba comes along with his flawless bonsai designs. With a background as a maze illustrator and then as an art director, Aiba knew he could create something really special. So, he now combines his two great passions in life to re-imagine the bonsai tree where creativity takes over and we enter a world of pure fantasy.

Look Below This Artist Re-Imagines The Bonsai To Create Spectacular Mini Tree Houses

As a child, Takanori Aiba wasn’t fixated on bonsai at all, but rather on model trains. It was pure bliss for him spending hours watching trains run on the railway tracks in his room.

He first played with bonsai in a simple and innocent way, by putting soil and moss on the lid of a beer bottle and inserting a tree branch. Looking down on his creation, his imagination ran wild—he pictured a miniature version of himself on that bottle lid, looking up at a giant tree branch.

It wasn’t until Aiba was in his 30s that he revisited his love of bonsai, after a trip to New York City’s American Museum of Natural History. It was the diorama exhibits that captured his imagination once again.

Upon entering a small shop behind the museum, Aiba’s world opened up with wonder as he inspected a shelf full of insect dioramas housed under glass domes.

The next moment, vivid memories of his childhood bonsai world came flooding back.

And ever since, the artist has devoted himself to the art of bonsai. Though, unlike his very first creation, Aiba’s bonsai art now re-imagines the classic Japanese art form.

Using materials like craft paper, plastic, plaster, acrylic resin, and paint, Aiba goes to work combining spectacular architectural plans with the delicate beauty of nature.

He always wants his bonsai creations to be anything but ordinary. He wants every piece to be original, precise, and captivating. Personally, I think he’s nailed it!

And as detailed as these pieces are, Aiba makes sure they are never cluttered. They work in harmony to create an eye-catching interpretation.