This small bronze sea sculpture was handmade by artist Kate Ive.

Holiday Home addresses the life-threatening, endangered plight of Hermit Crabs. In recent years, Hermit Crabs have been found washed up, without shells, on beaches as a result of having become homeless. As each Hermit Crab grows, it sheds its shell and must replace it with the next size up. Without a protective shell, their soft bodies are vulnerable to attack and injury. There are two main reasons why these crabs are struggling to find new shells to move into. Firstly, the declining health of the seas means there are not as many shellfish producing shells in the first place. Coupled with beachcombers and people taking shells home as holiday mementos and for craft projects/home décor. Real shells are also harvested to produce holiday shell souvenirs. All contribute to the declining availability of suitable Hermit Crab homes.

This tongue-in-cheek sculpture shows a little Hermit Crab that has been forced to move into a Sand Castle Souvenir. It is adorned with a mixed selection of real ocean shells, which he would have instinctively preferred as his home. The narrative behind the artwork is sickening in its irony. The shells have been removed from the sea/beach/rock pools to make the souvenir. This has then been purchased and later discarded as waste, ending up back in the sea. Once discarded and damaged by the sea-weathering process, this adaptable Hermit Crab has been able to wriggle into the cracked base of the souvenir. Reluctantly choosing to make this detritus her home.

This small bronze sea sculpture was first sculpted in clay before being made into wax. This was then hand cast into bronze and patinated.

This is an edition of 6 and is currently available for purchase. Please enquire though the ‘Contact’ page.