Featured art and artist of the month: “Ambassador” by Olivier Leger
Olivier Leger with “Ambassador”
As we continue to highlight creativity Inspired by #IconicFishes, we are delighted to feature Ambassador by ocean wildlife artist Olivier Leger. In this beautifully intricate artwork, a seahorse carries the seagrass meadow she calls home, showing us the hidden treasures within this vital habitat. Another nine seahorses are hidden in the blades of seagrass, highlighting the link between our animals and their habitats.
Oli is known for his intricately detailed paintings that celebrate the wonders of our ocean, draw attention to the threats they face, and highlight the work being done to protect them. With Ambassador, he turns his attention to the seagrass habitat loss crisis in the UK and the work being done to safeguard these meadows and the marine life that depends on them.
Did you know?
Up to 90% of seagrass has disappeared in the UK in the past century, taking with it vital habitat for countless marine species. Seagrass meadows are home to many of our iconic fishes and serve as nurseries for juvenile fish seeking shelter, as well as feeding and breeding grounds for many species. But recovery is possible, with seagrass restoration projects being piloted in the UK.
In conversation with Oli, we learned what makes his process especially compelling: the way he builds stories into his art.
Look closely at Ambassador and you’re not just seeing a seahorse - you’re seeing stories gathered in the field. Before Oli picks up a paintbrush, he spends time experiencing the environment first-hand and speaking with scientists, conservationists and communities to inform the details he paints.
For Ambassador, Oli drew inspiration from snorkelling in the beautiful Porthdinllaen seagrass meadow and joining restoration work with Project Seagrass and North Wales Wildlife Trust - collecting and planting seeds on the beach with local volunteers. That process shaped Ambassador into a reflection of the biodiversity, people and places he’d met along the way - like Russell Connelly, a PhD researcher at the University of Essex who studies UK seahorses and is developing pioneering ways to detect them.
Explore Ambassador with the artist in this short video:
Oli’s aim is to bring the ocean to people through art - to create a space for them to explore their connection with our blue planet, and perhaps to feel a sense of closeness, wonder and responsibility. Ambassador embodies that intention, bringing together science, community and creativity to tell the story of a habitat worth protecting, with seahorses at the heart of it all.
This is a magical example of how art and conservation can come together!
Feeling inspired? Here’s how you can get involved!
Visit www.iconicfishes.art/participate to explore our Inspiration Kit. It’s packed with fun facts and visuals.
Create new art and/or share existing art inspired by iconic fishes. Post it on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky or the Fediverse, tagging @iconicfishes with #IconicFishes, so we can find and share your post. Not on social media? Email the art to iconicfishes@projectseahorse.org
Help us spread the word. Share our resources across your network: inspire others!
“For me, what’s so exciting and meaningful about Iconic Fishes is seeing how your creativity can help more people fall in love with these species and the ocean they depend on - so get creating and get involved,”
Oli would like to thank everyone who helped shape Ambassador, including Project Seagrass, North Wales Wildlife Trust, Anglesey Sea Zoo, Chris Brown and Russell Connelly.
