Claire Rosen’s Birds of a Feather is a sumptuous new photobook that captures 120 live birds in vivid portraits staged against ornate, historically inspired backdrops. Blending art history, design, and ornithology, Rosen’s decade-long project reflects on beauty, belonging, and humanity’s complicated relationship with nature.

Photography Claire Rosen

Great Horned Owl No. 2514. Printed Floral Textile.

Birds of a Feather presents a world where parrots, owls, flamingos, falcons, chickens, and endangered species such as the Javan Green Magpie or Hyacinth Macaw reveal their unique personalities in portraits as rich as their plumage. Rosen pairs each bird with patterned wallpapers echoing Victorian aesthetics and scientific illustration, inviting a dialogue between nature and artifice, captivity and freedom, past and present.

The book is more than a collection of images: its design, marbled endpapers, inset pages, color-coded index, and historic typography, transforms it into a tactile object of wonder. Essays by Femke Speelberg of The Met and Joel Sartore of National Geographic situate Rosen’s work within the intertwined histories of art, design, and conservation, while the artist herself reflects on her creative process and ethical concerns.

Across ten years and multiple continents, Rosen’s fascination and patience have shaped a work that blurs the line between beauty and responsibility. Birds of a Feather ultimately asks how art might contribute to the preservation of nature, reminding us that every bird, every living creature, is a work of art in need of care.

Spotted Eagle-Owlets No.7711 Chinoiserie Damask Textile.

Greater Flamingo No. 0350. Damask Textile.

“How can you expect the birds to sing when their groves are cut down?”

—Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), American essayist and poet

African Penguin No. 7125. Striped Paper.

Javan Green Magpie No. 2969 Batik Textile.

The book is available through Claire Rosen’s bookstore and WRKSHP.

Blue Americanus Chicken No. 6178. Toile Paper

Lady Amherst Pheasant No. 9590 Damask Brocade Textile.

Java Sparrow No. 0857. Botanical Paper.

About Claire

Claire Rosen is an award-winning American artist whose work explores the intersection of myth, beauty, and the natural world. Known for her elaborate, historically inspired imagery, she creates photographs that are both whimsical and thought-provoking, often featuring animals as central subjects. Rosen’s practice combines storytelling with ethical reflection, inviting viewers to reconsider humanity’s relationship with nature. Her work has been exhibited internationally and published widely, earning recognition for its distinctive blend of artistry, narrative, and conservation awareness.

To see more of his work, visit her website or follow her on Instagram

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Claire Rosen’s Birds of a Feather is a sumptuous new photobook that captures 120 live birds in vivid portraits staged against ornate, historically inspired backdrops. Blending art history, design, and ornithology, Rosen’s decade-long project reflects on beauty, belonging, and humanity’s complicated relationship with nature.

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“How can you expect the birds to sing when their groves are cut down?”

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Fruiting Bodies