‘Pastel Deaths’ is a poignant photo series by photographer Emir Ozsahin where he memorializes deceased animals in a memorable and touching manner.
In his photos, the dead animals are arranged to look more like they are resting or sleeping. They are placed on tiny beds and cots, and it’s hard to believe that these animals are actually dead.
According to Ozsahin, his inspiration for the series came from the death of a “very close friend” and the image of her “lying on the highway covered with newspapers” had haunted him.
Wanting to memorialize the animals into a “more sentimental, less traumatizing way”, he started this series. “This project is actually about what the deceased leave behind, how the ones left behind remember them or want to remember them more than those who pass away,” said Ozsahin.
“By humanizing deceased animals and showing them as if they were sleeping, I tried to briefly touch death and create a series of photographs about pushing away the feeling of disappearing before it hits us hard in the face. I’m seriously not sure if this is an escape or an acceptance for me. All I know is that the photographs have a positive effect on me.”
[via Feature Shoot, images via Emir Ozsahin]