Animal sculptures aren’t a rarity in the art world, and we’ve seen artists use many different materials to bring them to life. Anna Chan opted for the most unusual one yet, and she’s using seashells to create some of the most amazing animal sculptures that you’ll ever see.
Chan is based in New York, and her obsession with seashells is a relatively new thing. She’s a jewelry designer by trade but she experienced a sharp decrease in orders once the pandemic hit and had to shift her focus to new creative endeavors.
Once the beaches reopened in mid-2020, she started collecting seashells with her daughter and saw great potential in them. It all started with a sculpture of a sea turtle created in sand, and she was immediately hooked.
Chan always makes sure to choose shells that match the characteristics of the animal she’s creating, and it can take her anywhere between three days to a week to put her elaborate “puzzles” together.
“My sand and seashell bas relief sculptures are mostly inspired by wildlife and feature seashells I collect locally in New York and on my travels… If sand is my canvas, then seashells are my inspiration, gemstones, and brushstrokes as an artist,” she explains on her official website.
