In Pictures: Emirati Artist Brings the Unseen World of Insects to Life

We go about in life, each of us lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday routine. We often forget to appreciate the little things in life. Emirati photographer, Yousef Al-Habshi decided to capture the many sights that elude the human eye.

In his latest project,”The Unseen”, Al-Habshi gets close to his subjects. In a series of photographs we see a headshot of a stag beetle or the eyes of another insect up close.

Al-Habshi brings to us the world of insects we often forget about. Since 2010, he was enamored with the art of photography. The artist spent years mastering “micro” as well as “macro” photography. His work won him the first place in Nikon’s Small Worlds photomicrography competition in 2018, making him the first Arab to win the award. 

“Despite their microscopic size, these invertebrates’ vital significance play a major role – that exceeds their size a thousand-fold – for everything around us, whether for humans, animals or even plants,” said Al Habshi in an interview with The National. “Modern science is still probing the mysteries of these creatures’ lives, and coming up with new discoveries every day.”

Once one of these photographs is viewed, the onlooker gets a mixed feeling of familiarity as well as foreignness at the same time. This project delves into the world of tiny life and the means of its survival.

WE SAID THIS: The exhibition runs until the 28th of October at Manarat Al Saadiyat. Make sure not to miss it!