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Turning waste sea shells into murals

Image of two murals side by side in the workshop. The mural depicts a bivalve shell.
Photo by Jordan Young

CLIMAVORE began collecting waste shells from partner restaurants across Skye and Raasay in 2019 and transforming them into new artworks by Cooking Sections. These murals, crafted from crushed seashells, celebrate the future of the coast and the tidal commons. Comprising five unique designs, each panel has a mirrored twin. One will enter a publically accessible art collection internationally, and one will remain in a community location in Skye and Raasay. Just as towns are twinned, these murals act as umbilical cords feeding and supporting each other.

The waste shell terrazzo murals are both a gesture of gratitude to the communities of Skye and Rassay and a visual manifesto for reimagining coastal ecologies and economies socially and ecologically restorative.

The development of this new material formed from waste seashell is led by Joel Franklyn of Skye Stone Studio, Rachael Macleod, and Calum Macpherson.

Close up image of tiles that make up the Bivalve Murals. The tiles are different colours and the background behind the mural is dark.
Close up image of the tiles that make up the Bivalve Murals.
Cut tiles set out on a work bench, ready to be made into a mural.
Locations
Isle of Skye; Raasay; Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Years
2019–ongoing
Bivalve Murals | CLIMAVORE