Liza Nelson is a designer who has a tumblr project called EMOJI IRL.LOL where she recreates some of the classic Emoji emoticons using real life photography and other mediums. Here’s how she sums up the ongoing series:

“Emojis mean everything and they mean nothing at the same time. They’re completely personal and completely universal. They’re really quite stupid. And they’re the best thing that ever happened to our generation. They deserve to be observed and worshipped individually. By finding, posing and sculpting emojis in real life I’ve created a set of shrines to the individual characters. Because somebody had to do it.”

I’m not sure I agree that it needed to be done but it’s interesting viewing regardless. Most of the emoji we find ourselves using really don’t make much sense when it’s broken down and displayed in a more realistic portal but I still find necessary for a spanish lady to dance next to smiling turds in order to express my feelings to friends via instant message. A few shots from the project are below,and you can check out her main portfolio here.