The beauty of insects by Samuel Dejong

From a very young age on I have been fascinated by insects.

Their shape, colour, anatomy, movement and diversity have been a source of inspiration. If you study them up-close you will find fascinating details in their micro-cosmos. If you go beyond what you can see with the naked eye there is even more to discover: a nano-level of functional details. It is like a world within a world within a world.

There is so much to discover if you only take the time to look close.

And then there is the metaphorical side of insects. They could symbolize rebirth, life as well as death depending on culture and species of insects. So no matter how you look at them, they provoke a strong emotional reaction. Since insects are fragile on their own but strong in numbers, for me they reflect on the fine balance between permanence and impermanence of life. If we don’t radically change our impact on nature there will be a sixth mass extinction.

This is already happening with insects and will accelerate in the coming decades. In my opinion, to change this will be our biggest challenge for the near future.