12. Chris Van Niekerk’s ECOSKELETON insects made of leaves, wood and bark

Chris van Niekerk's Ecoskeletons – "specimens" created by the artist using leaves, bark, grass and other plant matter – call attention to the beauty and importance of the insect world.

Born and raised in the rural northwestern Free State, artist and horticulturalist Chris van Niekerk has long had a deep connection with the natural world. "I was forever fascinated by the unfathomable beauty and perfection of flowers," he says. "I would spend entire school holidays collecting flowers, seeds and leaves, dissecting and rearranging them into different shapes, forms and patterns."

That childhood passion translated into university studies in horticulture at Tshwane University of Technology, following which Chris spent six years working at a horticulturalist – including being involved in the design and development of what is now the Centurion Lake complex in Gauteng. His increasing interest in design led to part-time lecturing in the field of landscape design and, following a move to Cape Town, 22 years as a conceptual artist making site-specific installations for major events and celebrations.

Now this multitalented creative has focused his attention on insects – and is creating the remarkable works shown here under the overall heading of Ecoskeletons. This series title is "a play on the word 'exoskeleton', which in biology refers to the rigid external covering of the body of some invertebrate animals, such as grasshoppers and beetles," explains Chris. He is concerned by the growing evidence worldwide of plummeting insect numbers (mostly due to habitat destruction) over the past 30 years, and Chris's work is in part an attempt to focus attention on this issue.

These delicate "specimens" – made entirely from carefully collected plant matter – are a timely reminder about the crucial importance of insects to the survival of many other forms of life on the planet, including our own. They are also very beautiful: to make each individual "insect", Chris meticulously combines leaves, bark, roots and sticks, grass and seeds to form a unique and brand new "species" of his invention. They're then carefully sprayed with biodegradable lacquer to preserve them, and mounted in wooden display cases very like those you'd see in a museum of natural history.

Combined in a series, they make a exquisitely lovely decorative feature that is bound to start just the sort of conversation about the conservation of the natural world that we should all be having more regularly.Chris van Niekerk's Ecoskeletons are available to purchase at the Babylonstoren Fine Living Store, and directly from the artist via his Instagram page @chrisvanniekerkbotanicals.

Each of Chris van Niekerk's Ecoskeletons artworks is painstakingly crafted entirely using his careful selection of plant matter, including leaves, seed pods and grasses. The creations are then preserved with a biodegradable lacquer spray before being mounted.