KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 ― Many would cringe at the sight of flying cockroaches.

But for Filipina artist Brenda Delgado, the insects' shiny and smooth wings are suitable to be used as a medium for her paintings.

Since then, the 30-year-old resident of Caloocan City in Manila has painted Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” or Vermeer’s “Girl With a Pearl Earring” with oil paints on the tiny surface and attracted the attention of social media users.

Delgado was said to have gotten the idea to paint on cockroaches after she found the dead insects at her workplace, Oddity Central reported.

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It is unclear if Delgado treats the cockroaches after painting on them and what happens to it after she completes her work.

While the artist is pushing her artistic boundaries, others are accusing her of animal cruelty.

A social media user said they would not appreciate people painting on their body as they lay dying on a hospital bed.

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Another user accused Delgado for her lack of empathy.

“If the cockroach is already dead, so be it ― but it just seems hard and cruel. Talks a lot about the artist’s (lack of) empathy …”