A new set of dioramas, meticulously handcrafted and photographed by Brooklyn-based artist duo Lori Nix and Kathleen Gerber (previously featured here). Continuing from their previous series, “The City” — which involved interior scenes of recently abandoned spaces like museums and shopping malls — the pair continue within the same post-apocalyptic setting, only this time taking a broader, bird’s-eye view as crumbling manmade structures are reclaimed by nature.

To get a sense of the amount of work that goes into each image, a single miniature takes about 7 months to complete, with the materials deconstructed and reused after each shoot. See more images from “Empire” below or on display at Catherine Edelman Gallery in Chicago March 2 – April 28.