scarab beetles | indian ink

This artwork celebrates the remarkable dung beetle, illustrated using a hand-carved sketch stick made from an ana tree branch gathered along the banks of the Zambezi. The pairing of ink and natural wood feels fitting, because few creatures are as deeply connected to the earth as the dung beetle.

In the wild, dung beetles are nature’s tireless recyclers. They roll, bury, and feed on dung, enriching the soil and clearing the landscape as they go. Their strength is legendary—able to move balls many times their own weight—and their determination is almost comical to watch, especially when rolling their prize in perfect backward strides.

The artwork captures both the beetle at rest and in flight—those delicate wings usually hidden beneath a hard, glossy shell. It’s a small homage to a creature that quietly keeps African ecosystems healthy, drawn with a tool shaped by the very environment these beetles help sustain.