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This Is What Happens When You Ask 23 Different Artists To Re-Create Your Family Photos

Most creative birthday idea ever.

A year ago, photographer Ernst Berlin was searching for the perfect birthday gift for his wife, Agnes. It was then he discovered the Reddit Gets Drawn subreddit, where artists will draw people's photo requests.

Though the Chicago-based dad forgot about it for most of the year, two months ago he remembered the community and reached out to about 50 people to see if they might want to help him with his idea.

"Twenty-three replied. It was more than I expected, but I loved all their previous work so I couldn't say no," he told BuzzFeed News.

Berlin sent the artists an album of 40 family photos of himself, Agnes, and their baby, Jacob, that they could choose from to create their original works.

"I didn't mind if there were multiples of the same photo done," he explained. "I knew they would all differ."

Over the next six weeks, the art began flooding in. Most digital, some traditional, with Berlin having to sneak to print them since his wife works from home.

"They turned out great," he said. "Consistent, cost effective, and tied in well with the rest of the room."

The day of Agnes' birthday, Berlin sent her off to a spa to give him a few hours to arrange and hang all of the work.

Though he cut it close on time, he managed to get all the photos up shortly before she got home.

"Luckily it all worked out, but there are a lot more holes in the wall than there are nails," he said.

He even documented her adorably overwhelmed reaction in a YouTube video.

She was pretty floored.

See the rest of the wildly different and imaginative portraits over at Imgur.

h/t Bored Panda