A Balloon Virtuoso

At just 25, Masayoshi Matsumoto is already a master of what has to be a niche art form: balloon animals.

Sure, you think you’ve seen balloon animals before because you saw a clown at a friend’s birthday party when you were nine. Matsumoto’s creations are on another level entirely. The detail he wrests from latex and air is jaw-dropping.

That’s right—he uses no markers, no adhesives, and no sealants to make these animals … just balloons.

Yet his owl looks stern, and his iguana has scales and spines and expressive eyes, and his hermit crab seems surprised.

He doesn’t do just animals. He also has a series of anime and video game characters, for which he will occasionally use embellishments with markers and accessories.

Seahorse

Masayoshi Matsumoto Seahorse

Artwork by Masayoshi Matsumoto

Mandrill

Balloon Mandrill

Artwork by Masayoshi Matsumoto

Peacock

Balloon Animal Peacock

Artwork by Masayoshi Matsumoto

Goat

Balloon Animal Goat

Artwork by Masayoshi Matsumoto

Spider

Balloon Animal Spider

Artwork by Masayoshi Matsumoto

Caterpillar

Caterpillar

Artwork by Masayoshi Matsumoto

Iguana

Iguana Balloon

Artwork by Masayoshi Matsumoto

Jellyfish

Balloon Animal Jellyfish

Artwork by Masayoshi Matsumoto

Hermit Crab

Hermit Crab

Artwork by Masayoshi Matsumoto

You can see more of his work on his Tumblr, Facebook, or Twitter