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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 fundraising 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: 'Jerri' reflects the joy and vibrancy of the island, and his name means 'beautiful Jersey' in Jerriais. The design references the stunning patterns of beautiful tortoise shells. Admittedly, real tortoises might have fewer bright colours but they're just as exciting. Jerri's kaleidoscope shell also references an area in Jersey Zoo called 'Butterfly Kaleidoscope', where you can see a real life Galapagos tortoise.
Artist: Amy Bourbon
About the artist: Amy is a Doctor of Fine Art, specialising in oil painting and drawing.
Location: Elizabeth Marina
Sponsor: Ports of Jersey
About the tortoise: We all need to slow down. Life is so busy sometimes that it feels like a blur. This tortoise encourages you to take a moment and feel the breeze on your face whilst drinking in this beautiful calming environment. Slow and steady wins the race, and what a better reminder to slow down and enjoy your surroundings than with 'Breathe'.
Artist: Jess Perrin
About the artist: Jess is a freelance illustrator mainly focusing on children’s media such as books, animation and games. She studied a BA in graphic communication and illustration at Loughborough University, and then an MA at Birmingham City University, gaining a distinction. Jess also designs and paints sculptures for a number of charity art trails around the UK, with her work raising over £110k to date.
Location: Broad Street
Sponsor: Intertrust Group
About the tortoise: 'Bright Spark' is inspired by the bioluminescent phenomena that occurs on Jersey beaches at low tide during the summer months. Featuring glow in the dark shapes, this tortoise will catch your eye both in the day and night.
Artist: As well as 'Breathe', Jess Perrin is also the artist behind 'Bright Spark'
Location: El Tico
Sponsor: BDO / C5 Alliance / ALX
About the tortoise: 'Cosmic Connection' is focused on the unique connection we have with the universe and the wonder we share for it, whilst creating an exciting visual for adults and children. Artist Cheryl wanted to work with the shell shape to create a unique visual piece. She wanted the design to be something children would be excited to discover, whilst encouraging adults to think further into our connection with the universe. A common theme when astronauts were interviewed about time spent in space was the connection felt to earth from so far away.
Artist: Cheryl Muir
About the artist: Local artist Cheryl Muir says that her "ambition is to make each day full of great moments" through art, photography, or adventures.
Location: Elizabeth Terminal
Sponsor: Maples Group
About the tortoise: Join Darwin on his voyage of discovery in South America onboard the HMS Beagle to find yourself on an adventure to discover a whole new world. 'Discoveries With Darwin's' creator Layla is a papercut artist and set designer based in the Netherlands. She has traded her scissors for pen to create this delicate and intricate illustration, reminiscent of her papercut work.
Artist: Layla Arthur
About the artist: Layla Arthur is a Jersey born paper artist currently living in the Netherlands. Her paper works have been exhibited internationally in America, Switzerland, Italy and the Netherlands. Layla handcrafts each detail in her work to transform paper into a vehicle for narratives. She cuts elaborate patterns into the paper, sculpts, and layers the paper to create intricate worlds and plays with lighting to create shadows which interact with the surrounding environment.
Location: Liberation Square
Sponsor: Ravenscroft
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
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