The images are the work of Brazilian performance artist Rodrigo Braga.

Braga had a veterinary surgeon sew the muzzle, eyebrows and ears of a dead dog onto a replica of his face. The artist produced a series of photographs depicting the procedure. Digital manipulation was also used on the images.

An animal shelter had previously euthanized the dog used in the procedure because it could not be rehomed. The dog’s body was used with the permission of local authorities.

The Internet being what the Internet is, this story was doing the rounds under the claim that it had actually happened rather than the more banal reality of it being a performance art piece.

About the artist:

In his latest series of work, shown at last year’s 30th Bienal de São Paulo (2012), Braga addresses the conflict between man and nature, human and animal.

In Tônus (2012), he ties himself to a goat and attempts to run in a different direction, an action that results in them both spinning endlessly in circles. He also fights the claws of a crab with his bare hand, a duel that ends in stalemate – a metaphor for the human condition in a landscape impossible to tame.

Via Hoax-Slayer.