One-of-a-kind wall pieces composed shell by shell — gathered by hand, arranged without a template, made once for one wall.
Sinem Mercan works from the coastline in, not the studio out. Each piece begins with walking the tideline — collecting shells one at a time, sorted later by shape, curve, and hue, long before any pattern is decided.
What emerges are radiating, mandala-like compositions: no two pieces symmetrical in the same way, no two shells interchangeable. The work is slow by nature and one of a kind by design — built for private homes, vessels, and collections around the world.
A small selection of compositions — each an original arrangement of hand-gathered shell, coral fragment, and mother-of-pearl.
Pieces are commissioned to hold their own inside the rooms people actually live in — the salon of a private yacht, a stairwell landing, a hotel lobby wall. Scale, palette, and shell selection are considered against the space before a single shell is placed.
Shells and coral fragments are collected in person, over time — never bought as a uniform batch. Imperfection and variation are the raw material.
Each piece is sorted by shape, curvature, and tone, then set aside until a composition suggests itself. Some shells wait months for the right mandala.
Arrangement happens freehand, radiating outward from a center point, until the piece is balanced by eye rather than by measurement.
Sinem works directly with a limited number of private clients each year — sized and composed for a specific room, vessel, or collection. Enquiries are welcomed via Instagram.
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