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This summer, giant tortoises are taking over Jersey in an extraordinary, free public art trail across the island's wild places, coastal vistas and urban hangouts.
The funds generated from the 'Tortoise Takeover' sculptures – which have been sponsored by local businesses and will be actioned off at the end of the trail – will be used to build a new amphibian and reptile house at Jersey Zoo.
Supporting the 'Tortoise Takeover' initiative as its official media partner, Express is getting behind the scenes of the trail to bring you a comprehensive guide of all 50 of the giant tortoises and the inspiration behind each sculpture's bespoke artwork.
Find out more about the the next five tortoises in the trail here...
About the tortoise: The concept for this tortoise combines several elements that come together to form a whole, just like the title suggests. 'Kintsugi' is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with gold. This reflects the incredible work that Durrell undertakes to regenerate and save endangered species across the globe.
Artist: Midnight
About the artist: Midnight is a creative, graphic designer, illustrator and street artist with over 12 years of experience in the creative industry. Designing great creative solutions for world class brands, he likes to focus on designing the perfect solution for any problem – no matter how challenging. Midnight prides himself on his passion for the work he creates; everything is handled with the same creativity, love, insight and enthusiasm.
Location: Jersey Airport arrivals
Sponsor: Crestbridge
About the tortoise: 'Les Papillotes' features all the different species of butterflies that are found in or have been recorded in Jersey. Butterflies are an important part of Jersey's biodiversity and an important environmental indicator. They are also a favourite of visitors to Jersey Zoo's Butterfly Kaleidoscope. Can you spot all the butterflies featured on 'Les Papillotes'? Don't forget to look on his tummy!
Artist: Olivia Grimes
About the artist: Olivia is from Jersey and has always loved painting and the natural world. Her work is inspired by the intricacy and variety of nature, and much of it features animals and nature. Olivia has worked creating pet portraits for the past few years and loves painting animals. She is also looking to branch out by producing prints and custom pieces.
Location: Jardin d'Olivet
Sponsor: Ogier
About the tortoise: 'Lucky One' takes inspiration from local Jersey wildlife and Chinese culture where the tortoise is said to be one of the sacred symbols in Feng Shui. The jade green scales represent strength and wisdom and evokes the spiritual and lucky nature of the tortoise. This glimmering tortoise also features local wildlife of Jersey on its shell.
Artist: Rachael and Phillippa Corcutt
About the artist: Rachael and Phillippa Corcutt are twin sisters and illustrators who work together as an illustration collective, specialising in children’s illustration. Their work involves creating illustrations for magazines, children’s books, gifts and greetings cards. They also paint sculptures for Wild in Art public sculpture trails across the UK, and have painted over 20 sculptures so far. The duo graduated from the University of Derby with First Class (hons) Degrees in Illustration. They enjoy creating playful and thoughtful characters, and whimsical and magical illustrations.
Location: Coronation Park (Millbrook)
Sponsor: BNP Paribas
About the tortoise: 'Luminous Luna' is inspired by the bioluminescent worms in Jersey's La Rocque Harbour. Each night, as a result of a chemical reaction in the worms, the harbour area is illuminated creating a glowing spectacle. Much like the bioluminescent worms, this tortoise also glows at night! It has been painted with a special glow in the dark acrylic paint to reveal a dazzling design lighting up the darkness of the night. The artist hopes this encourages people to explore Jersey's natural environment not only during daylight, but once night falls too.
Artist: Hannah Jayne Lewin
About the artist: Hannah is based in Yorkshire and creates artwork for a variety of areas including children’s publishing, art trails, and murals. She creates illustrations with the belief that pictures can evoke an emotional response in someone. An image might make someone feel happy, thankful, curious or even brave. Illustrations can change a person’s feelings and, in turn, their lives which Hannah believes is powerful. She loves seeing people all over the world, of all ages and all backgrounds engaging with and enjoying her artwork.
Location: La Rocque Pier
Sponsor: EFG In The Community
About the tortoise: "You cannot begin to preserve any species of animal unless you preserve the habitat in which it dwells." Inspired by the words of Gerald Durrell, artist Shirley created 'Margo' who is named after his sister. 'Margo' is inspired by the flowers and plants found in the habitats of giant tortoises around the world. Without these habitats, these beautiful creatures cannot survive, making this tortoise home to a cheerful design with a serious message!
Artist: Shirley Copperwhite
About the artist: Irish artist and designer Shirley Copperwhite is known for her colourful artworks that combine creative ideas with patterning and instinctive application of colour. She is largely inspired by the natural world and its conservation for future generations. Shirley works across a number of disciplines and enjoys combining modern technology with traditional mediums. With a background in graphic design and textiles, her sense of pattern and colour is engaging and distinctive. After over twenty years in the design industry, Shirley now dedicates herself to making artwork that encompasses drawing, print and textiles.
Location: Corbiere Lighthouse
Sponsor: Royal Bank of Canada
Pick up a copy of the July edition of Connect Magazine for your FREE official Tortoise Takeover trail guide or check out the digital edition below...
Express is proud to be the media partner for this year's Tortoise Takeover. Sign up to our daily news email for all the latest updates.
MEET THE TORTOISES #1: A berry good shell-ection of sculptures
MEET THE TORTOISES #2: Strike a cosmic connection with a p'tit pal
MEET THE TORTOISES #3: Dodo you like to explore? From Eden to Eco Ninjas...
MEET THE TORTOISES #4: My tortoise family and other sculptures
MEET THE TORTOISES #5: Keep going, as the trail keeps growing
This article was put together with the help of Sadie Taylor, who was on Trident Work Experience with Bailiwick Express.
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