In her Spiders of Paradise project nature-focused artist Maria Fernanda Cardoso presents a highly detailed photographic journey into the world of the tiny Australian Maratus spider. Measuring less than 5 millimeters, these insects are renowned for their unique, brightly-colored abdomens, which play a crucial role in their elaborate mating rituals. Through a series of large-scale photographs, Cardoso captures the multi-colored patterns of various Maratus species, presenting them as individual portraits.

‘The Maratus spiders of Australia are the most colorful, flamboyant, sexy, and charming spiders on the planet. I think if paradise existed, it would be inhabited by beautiful creatures such as these,’ shares the artist. ‘Their use of color, gesture, sound, and movement makes them (in my opinion) amongst the most sophisticated visual and performing artists in the world. They are also the smallest performers I know of—on average about 4-6mm in size, smaller than a grain of rice.’

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