Artist creates realistic sand sculptures – here are 20 of our favorites
Most of us have built a sandcastle, whether it was at the beach or in the sandbox. But few of us ever graduated to anything beyond stacking buckets of damp sand before knocking it all down.
For artist Andoni Bastarrika, his medium is sand and his creations are far beyond anything we could have imagined while playing with our little plastic shovels.
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He’s been hard at work for over a decade creating replicas of the natural world on the beach and using an unimaginable number of tiny sand particles to create one large creature.
Here are 20 of our favorite pieces by Bastarrika:
1. Unexpected beach creatures
We know elephants love the water, but they’re not something we expect to see at the beach!
Bastarrika told Bored Panda that he also uses materials such as ash and coal or clay powders to give his sculptures color.
He also said this incredible elephant took him 2 days to create.
2. Coastal crocodile
We’re guessing by the shape of its mouth that this is a crocodile and not an alligator.
In any case, it’s realistic enough that we might steer clear of it altogether if we saw it in the distance!
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3. Lend a hand
While animal bodies are Bastarrika’s most frequent subject, occasionally we get a human figure as well (or part of one).
Of using sand as a medium, the artist said in a Facebook post:
“To create a sand sculpture, endless sand particles are involved that embrace each other tightly through humidity, so that the artist can model that union. Once the artist retires, they will stay at the mercy of nature, so that sooner or later the wind will dry them and release each particle of sand that symbolizes the sense of individuality or authenticity.”
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4. Land shark!
This bull shark sculpture was so sturdy that you can find photos of it moved to different parts of the beach.
And it’s been a prop for quite a few photos of fake shark attacks.
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5. Release the Kracken!
This stunning octopus is our favorite of all of Bastarrika’s creations.
It’s hard to see just how enormous it is until you see the artist for scale.
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6. One with nature
This beautiful sand carving takes both talent and imagination.
This isn’t his only sculpture of humans and dolphins, so be sure to scroll through Facebook and Instagram to see more.
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7. Hammerhead
Well, this is something we hope not to see at the beach – unless it’s made of sand, of course.
Bastarrika often poses with his creations, much of the time with a great sense of humor.
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8. A fine mare
Horses feature prominently in the artist’s work.
He dedicated this one to all horses and mares, past, present, and future.
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9. Dog at the dunes
The only animals more prevalent in Bastarrika’s work than horses are dogs. In fact, he has made quite a few different dog sculptures of many sizes.
This one was so sturdy it eventually made its way off the beach.
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10. Gentle giant
It’s fascinating to see creatures we associate with completely different environments on the beach.
We’d love to know the story behind this piece.
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11. People of the earth
Bastarrika has also sculpted a handful of faces in his famous spot on the beach.
It’s impossible not to stop and take notice of something like this – both beautiful and jarring at the same time.
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12. Speaking of primates…
Humans aren’t the only primates to be found on the beach.
This sculpture would certainly stop us in our tracks.
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13. Sand snake
Those eyes!
While we don’t ever want to see something slithering around at the beach, we’d have to stop and inspect this for a while.
14. Horse head
While it might seem a little The Godfather to have a horse head on the beach, many of the artist’s pieces are of heads emerging from the ground.
You just have to use your imagination for the rest.
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15. Turtle power
This is another of our favorites.
It’s important to remember that the beach belongs to other creatures first and foremost.
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16. Another fascinating face
We only wish we knew more about the motivations behind some of these sculptures.
Bastarrika’s social media pages are full of photos but contain very little commentary.
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17. Paws out, claws out
We’re not sure we’d want to see this lion climb out.
Those claws are enough to make us glad he’s made of sand.
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18. Fetal position
There are a series of beautiful human sand figures in the artist’s portfolio.
This one is our favorite.
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19. Dog days of summer
In addition to solo shots, you can find lots of kids posing with the dog sculptures on Bastarrika’s social media accounts.
And they’re all simultaneously impressive and adorable.
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20. One foot out
Why a foot? Why the rope?
We’re not sure, but the detail is stunning.
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Source: Bored Panda, Andoni Bastarrika Artista, @andoni_bastarrika_artista via Instagram