Many of us like to collect seashells and pebbles when we go to the beach. The New York-based artist Anna Chan took this popular pastime to the next level. When the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, work dried up for Chan, who is a jewelry designer by profession. To pass the time, she and her 10-year-old daughter spent their days at the beach.
And this is how the artist’s new project was born. The first sand and shell sculpture Chan created was a turtle, and now her portfolio features an array of land and sea animals. She carefully chooses shells that match the real-life characteristics of each animal. For example, a bird’s wings are made of horseshoe crab tails and a lion’s mane is sculpted from broken pieces of yellowish shells.
According to Chan, sculpting the pieces was liberating and relaxing during the difficult times of lockdown. But what was once a hobby has now turned into the main focus of her artistic work. “I saw great potential with this new medium and was determined to keep refining my work, so I moved some sand and seashells to my garage and that is where I work today,” Chan told My Modern Met. Take a look at Chan’s lovely shell art, and you are guaranteed to fall in love with it too.
To see more of Anna Chan’s work, you can visit her website or Instagram page.
