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His artwork looks good enough to eat – that's because you can.
Nathan Wyburn uses organic food to create some of the UK's most iconic landscapes including Stonehenge, Giant’s Causeway and Avon Gorge, with its famous suspension bridge.
The 34-year-old artist from Ebbw Vale in Wales uses mostly fruit and vegetables for his edible artwork.
"I was approached by a company that wanted to celebrate the beloved landscapes that are ironic here in the UK. And it seemed fitting to use natural food products,” Nathan tells YOU.
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Nathan used almost 67kg of food, including soup, yoghurt and butter, to bring the four landscapes to life.
He replicated Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland using carrots, parsnips, thyme soup, salted butter, cheddar cheese and potatoes.
And he crafted Avon Gorge's iconic bridge with a colourful kaleidoscope of berries, including strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, along with beetroot and broccoli, and added layers of texture using leeks and kale.
“I used to visit Avon Gorge as a child and was always in awe of the amazing natural landscape, so it was a really fun process thinking about how I could bring that to life through local products,” he says.
Nathan recently exhibited his artwork in the UK and later donated the food he used for his art to local food banks, something he says he often does.
“I take pictures and videos to record my work and donate the food afterwards. I am doing what I love and making sure no food goes to waste.”
It takes him three to four days to finish each delectable artwork. This includes drawing the outline using pencils, preparing the ingredients and slicing and dicing whatever he needs to bring his vision to life.
Although he prefers using food, he uses just about anything, from torn-up clothes to newspapers, for his pieces.
“I love using chocolate, it’s my favourite because chocolate is cheaper compared to paint. And I can eat it while working,” he says while laughing.
Nathan has always been drawn to art. He remembers sketching cartoons with his father as a young boy and thinking his dad was an amazing artist.
He started playing around with different materials in his teens and when he finished school he followed his passion and studied art, obtaining a qualification in fine art from Cardiff Metropolitan University.
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Nathan, whose work has been exhibited around the UK, USA, and Japan, also enjoys creating celeb portraits and has made a portrait of King Charles on toast using Marmite. He's created portraits of actors Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling using ketchup and he's made a portrait of Spider-Man star Tom Holland using torn clothes.
“I believe that the support from my family and friends is what helped me become successful. They often send me news of things happening around the world, and that becomes my inspiration,” he says.
