Nayan Shrimali and Venus Bird, of The Paper Ark, approach conservation and environmental activism on a tiny scale. The artists (previously) create miniature renditions of flora and fauna that harness the textured, buildable potentials of paper to showcase the beauty and singularity of threatened and endangered species.

After cutting and layering tiny bits of the material, Shrimali and Bird add details with watercolor, whether on the striped quills of a crested porcupine or the regal crown of the peahen. While largely true to life in anatomy and color, most of the portraits are small enough to fit on the tip of a finger.

Shrimali shares that The Paper Ark has started to create hand-cranked wildlife automata, which you find along with an extensive archive of creatures on Instagram. Shop prints and available originals on Etsy.