A Struggle Of Life And Death,

caught in time,

as a preying mantis devours it's meal,

 a dragonfly in flight,

 and a small nest of wasps, all looking remarkably lifelike, 

 but all of these are not,

 every single one of them has been meticulously hand crafted out of bamboo,

Japanese artist Noriyuki Saitoh constructs life-sized insects using the ever versatile bamboo, the natural material’s versatility lends a surprisingly wide range of colours and textures to each creature, as the artist writes on his website, “Since we are not preparing specimens and replicas, we strictly measure the [overall] dimensions and prioritise the appearance, impressions, features, and senses rather than proportions being created exactly…reality as a work is born if you thin out the elements and leave room to imagine.” Saitoh is active on Twitter and Facebook where you can follow more of his creations and see works in progress, what an amazing grass bamboo is and what a talent Noriyuki Saitoh has.