Lauren Murao Walkiewicz’s (B. 1991 Detroit, MI)  post-anthropocenic tondos fantasize about a world that exists after humans, caused by our current world’s insignificant actions of earthly destruction. Inspired by the rich, detailed portrayals of florals by Dutch painters like Rachel Ruysch, Walkiewicz depicts the small moments in the world of invertebrates, like mating, hunting, and eating, in egg-shaped frames. Painted exclusively in pastels, the structures of real and fantastical convey themes of the apocalypse through the monochromatic. These are juxtaposed with a bright orange and crackling ‘flame cages’, the flowers attempting to grow over and through. Walkiewicz creates a fantastical world using these elements, creating new types of flowers and animals with elements of the natural world through detailed research. 

How will the abandoned respond?