Combining resin, iconic architecture, a 3D printer, and a great sense of whimsy, artist Aki Inomata creates magical shells for hermit crabs. The series, which has been going on since 2009, is called Why Not Hand Over a Shelter to Hermit Crabs? I just love her inspiration for the project!
“This work was inspired by the fact that the land of the former French Embassy in Japan had been French until October 2009, and then became Japanese for the following fifty years, after which it will be returned to France…A piece of land is peacefully exchanged between two countries. While it is the same piece of land, our definition of it changes. In the same way, the appearance of hermit crabs changes completely as they exchange shelters. The hermit crabs in my piece, who exchange shelters representing cities of the world, seem to be crossing over national borders.”
– Aki Inomata project statement
What a fun way to pay tribute to iconic architecture around the world!
Here’s a video of how hermit crabs trade shells, narrated by the iconic Richard Attenborough. What an amazing process!
You can follow the very creative Aki Inomata on her website and on Vimeo and Instagram.
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My OBT 
April 14, 2023 at 1:24 pm
I have litttle interest in crabs unless they are going to be for dinner. But they do make some interesting crab houses. Hal
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April 16, 2023 at 11:36 am
Crabs are kind of our house’s unofficial sigil, so I’m always drawn to them.
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April 14, 2023 at 1:26 pm
Amazing! I really do marvel at the way creative minds work and the way what could be a wacky idea is executed so beautifully as to seem like it should have been the obvious idea. I bet these crabs think they are totally swanky with these luxury shells.
As an aside, I watched a video just last week of a hermit crab putting on a new shell made of some transparent material to show what the full process looks like. One of my kids accused me of being a pervert for watching a video of a naked hermit crab.
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April 16, 2023 at 11:36 am
LOL. Your kids never fail to entertain me!
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