Australian Maratus spiders, which measure 3-5mm, are known as “peacock spiders” because of the extravagant colourings they display during courtship rituals and combat. Sydney-based artist Maria Fernanda Cardoso became fascinated with the tiny spiders, which she has depicted in the series Spiders of Paradise, in collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. Together with scientific imager Geoff Thompson and Queensland Museum entomologist Andy Wang, she created composite images of their distinctive patterns using more than 1,000 source photographs for each species. “They’re cute, they’re exclusively Australian,” says Cardoso of the spiders. “They’re incredibly expressive and very flirtatious. The male wants to get all the attention of the female, like birds of paradise.”