Whimsical Beaded Fish by Mzayyanin (مزيَّنين) for Fish Biodiversity Conservation

Montreal-based Mzayyanin (مزيَّنين) is an Arabic bead artist who has been dedicating her craft to whimsical fish creations. These beaded fish charms are made to resemble their natural form as closely as possible, with their intricate natural patterns inscribed. Mzayyanin strives to create a large group of beaded fish to show how diverse the species are, which also helps to advocate for their biodiversity conservation. This is why the beaded fish charms by Mzayyanin is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Life Below Water.

Each beaded fish charm by Mzayyanin is roughly the size of two knuckles on a person’s finger. She uses delicate seed beads approximately 4 mm each to craft them, giving every fish a scale-like effect. Mzayyanin also hand-makes each charm, meaning she has greater control over how the final piece will look and feel. This also allows her to create a wide range of patterns for each fish species, for example no two koi fish charms are alike, they mimic how real koi fish have different patterns and shapes on them, much like a jaguar’s spots or a tiger’s stripes.

The importance of advocating for fish diversity was further highlighted in the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) 2024 Living Planet Index which shows that there has been an average of 81 percent decrease in migratory freshwater fish species. Its core drivers are habitat loss and degradation due to human activity and climate change. Migratory freshwater fish, such as tuna, are vital to millions of people's food security and nutritional needs, particularly for vulnerable coastal communities in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Beyond that, they also support the livelihoods of tens of millions in the fish industry, everyone from local fishers to those in the global trade of fish and fish byproducts, and even those in the recreational fishing industry.

Mzayyanin’s intricate beaded fish charms are more than just artistic creations—they are a vibrant call to action for conserving fish biodiversity. Her meticulous craftsmanship captures the unique patterns and forms of various fish species, reminding people of the rich diversity within the world’s aquatic ecosystems. By bringing attention to these issues through her art, Mzayyanin not only celebrates the beauty of marine life but also advocates for its preservation, urging everyone to protect these vital species and the communities that depend on them.

Find out more about beaded fish and other pieces by Mzayyanin (مزيَّنين) on her website www.mzayyanin.com or Instagram @mzayyanin.