Sonia Shomalzadeh drawing a whale in the sand

Meet: Artist in residence, Sonia Shomalzadeh

Celebrating the ocean’s giants on the sands, in celebration of World Oceans Day.

Sand artist Sonia Shomalzadeh joins us for a residency at Watergate Bay from 7–10 June 2025, when she’ll be creating life-size wildlife drawings of endangered marine species on the beach.

We caught up with Sonia to talk coastal wildlife, working in harmony with our environment and a lifetime shaped by the pull of the ocean.

“The act of making the sand drawings, which get taken with the tides, is like a ritual or an offering to the sea.”

Using the beach as a canvas allows me to make work on a vast scale. I wanted to create art resembling the most threatened marine species, showing their beauty and vulnerability – so I chose the animals most endangered by the human impact of pollution in our waters.

I focus on the curves: it’s very intuitive. To create a life-sized blue whale, I pace the 30-metre length in the sand to mark out the size and then work very abstractly with my hands and feet. I can roughly see the proportions of a tail at ground level, but I don’t really know how it looks until I climb the cliff above it for a better view.

The sea is in my blood. My whole family shares a deep love of the ocean. I was born on the south coast and spent my childhood camping in Dorset – my Dad said I wanted to be in the water all the time. My Mum grew up swimming in Mauritius, so now we go in the sea together whenever we can.

“I just feel a sense of calm looking out to the horizon, watching the waves and the colours and the light sparkling on the surface. There’s no better feeling than diving into crystal clear water.”

It’s a mix of emotions when I see my drawings wash away. Sometimes drawing these pieces gives me a deep sense of sadness, because I know many marine species are literally disappearing and that is part of the message I’m trying to convey.

Living in Cornwall inspired my passion for marine life. I moved here to study and explore the coastline, and created most of my sand art at Gwithian. I’ve always been aware of plastic pollution, then I read a shocking statistic saying there are 46,000 pieces of plastic in every square mile of the ocean. That’s why it’s so important to me to raise awareness of the human impact on wildlife. I use research to highlight the beauty of vulnerable species so that more people are drawn to supporting them.

My work has wildlife conservation at its heart. Art has the ability to connect with people and create a lasting impact, which can lead to powerful change. Our habits need to change so we can live more sustainably and in harmony with our natural environment.

“I love the marks you can create in the sand and the freedom from creating art that leaves no trace behind.”

My residency will give me much-needed focus time. I love the surf and huge vistas at Watergate Bay, and I’m so excited hearing about the humpback whales spotted this year. I’ll be inside the hotel on 7 June when the surf boat competition is on, hopefully sketching out work on paper and canvas – then drawing on the sand as much as possible. I can’t wait to immerse myself in the environment: watching the waves and tides really helps me get in the creative zone.