The Second Life of Seashells

In the Algarve, artist Dana Georgescu creates contemporary wall sculptures using shells collected along the Portuguese coast and recovered from local seafood businesses. Her work gives an unexpected artistic purpose to materials that would otherwise be discarded.

An Artist in the Algarve

Originally from Constanța, a Romanian city on the Black Sea, Dana Georgescu settled in Portugal in 2006 after working in education, hospitality and aboard cruise ships.

Her artistic career began during the pandemic, when collecting shells along the Algarve coastline developed into an interest in creating decorative objects.

What started with a simple shell-covered candle holder gradually became a distinctive artistic practice. Today, she works from her studio in Ferragudo under the name Dana Shell Art.

Giving Shells a New Purpose

Dana works with oyster, mussel and other natural shells, many obtained from restaurants, local businesses and fishing communities.

Among her sources are seafood establishments in the Algarve and an organic mussel farm in Sagres. Rather than treating shells as waste, she selects them for their individual shapes, colours and textures.

The preparation requires careful cleaning and drying before the shells can be incorporated into a composition.

Some artworks begin with a drawing, while others develop as Dana arranges the shells directly. Hundreds of individual pieces can be brought together to create layered patterns and sculptural surfaces.

She preserves the natural characteristics of the shells, including their irregularities, making every finished work unique.

Contemporary Art with a Coastal Identity

Dana's work includes large-scale wall compositions, circular sculptures and commissioned pieces designed for individual interiors.

Her creations have been presented at Art Expo Algarve and at ocean-themed exhibitions in Sagres and Ericeira.

Although the materials originate from the coast, the finished works belong equally in contemporary interiors and art collections. Their appeal lies in the combination of an unconventional material, detailed craftsmanship and individual artistic expression.

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