An echo of color and illusion

It is as small as a thumb – yet bears the intensity of an ocean on its skin. The dyeing frog, Dendrobates tinctorius, glows in blue, yellow, and black – colors that warn, lure, and protect all at once. But its secret lies deeper: it drums its toes to communicate – a rhythm heard only by nature's most sensitive ears. And its poison doesn't originate from within itself, but from what it eats – if it loses the wild insects of the rainforest, it loses its power. Color, sound, and poison – three voices of the same deception.

The blue poison dart frog seems like a color error of nature. Too blue, too intense, too perfect to simply be an animal. Yet it actually measures only three to four centimeters – a tiny creature that could easily be overlooked. And yet it is one of the most vulnerable species in the rainforest, whose habitat is shrinking year by year.

For this piece, I tried out what felt like hundreds of positions, hundreds of sizes. And I don't really know why myself, but for the first time, I chose a metal background. Perhaps because I wanted this little frog to be perceived in a completely different context. The size, the presence, the contrast – all of that was meant to show how easily one can overlook what actually needs protecting.

Many poison dart frogs live in tiny woodland areas. A storm, a fire, deforestation – and an entire habitat can disappear. This frog represents the fragility of an ecosystem, which often only becomes apparent when it's already gone.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this project in such large numbers. I'm happy if it brings you joy or sparks some thought. And perhaps one day you'll have the chance to see this little tree frog in nature – somewhere on a trail, deep in the forest. But please be careful before you step anywhere. Some wonders are smaller than you think.

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