Fields of Mytilus — shell art installation by Shellman Scandinavia

Fields of Mytilus

Nammos Resort Amaala, Saudi Arabia45,000 shells, 40 square meters

Fields of Mytilus is a site-specific, large-scale shell art installation created on site in Saudi Arabia. It’s our free-form interpretation of the vast ocean beds where mussels can gather in their millions. The mussel fields in this resort lobby don’t reach those staggering numbers, but we’ve placed 45,000 shells across two sweeping wall sections. The wave-like twists and turns echo the organic patterns of a real mussel bed: not uniform, not symmetrical, but alive with movement and rhythm. As you walk through the room the light hits the shells from different angles and the wall comes to life.

Buster Eriksson in front of the empty lobby wall with the flow sections drawn on it, Nammos Resort Amaala
The sheer size of a large wall is the kind of challenge we like. Imaginary flow sections drawn on day one; no turning back.
Buster Eriksson placing the first mussel shells on black mortar on the mesh-covered wall
That feeling when the first shells go on. We’re on to something big.
Two halves of a mussel shell held in a hand, showing the iridescent inside
It’s all in a sea shell. Sourcing rainbow colors sustainably.
Mikael Hjärtsjö setting shells at the start of a new section of the wall
Go left or right? Every new flow section started by us to get our team going.

Out of the ordinary

Nammos Resort Amaala in north-west Saudi Arabia is the first global resort hotel for the Mykonos beach-club lifestyle brand. Its lobby needed an out of the ordinary artwork setting the vibe, saying “welcome, you’ve just arrived at a very unique place”.

Many were called, Shellman was chosen

Art curators Majaz, based in Riyadh, found us through social media. The brief was concise: a luxury resort right on the edge of the Red Sea, a site with “salt in the air”, a curved lobby wall, approximately 40 square meters and sustainably sourced shells. A “living” underwater texture look was on the wishlist. We called Majaz that afternoon and had a proposal on their desk a few days later. Many were called, Shellman was chosen.

Close-up of the wave-like flow of mussel shells across a finished section
Wave-like twists and turns. Not uniform, not symmetrical, but alive with movement and rhythm.

Sustainable sourcing

Sourcing was tricky, but finally we found a thick, hard shell with a graphite gray inside and shimmering rainbow colors. We always source sustainably, this time from aquafarming for the food industry. Shells that would otherwise have gone to waste we turned into sustainable art. They arrived washed and cleaned, but the majority still required the edges to be sanded – thus, an extended team on this project was crucial.

Detail of mussel shells laid on black-tinted mortar at the edge of the growing section
Day by day, shell by shell the flow grows in all directions.
Buster Eriksson inspecting the shell wall from floor level
Daily inspections, reading the flow from the floor perspective.
The left wall section half covered with shells, drawn flow lines still visible
Half way there, the left wall section shaping up.
The installation team working on scaffolding near the top of the five-metre wall
Almost five meters from floor to ceiling. Scaffolding necessary.

“We love your proposal, go ahead!”

With the assistance of a tight-knit team, we completed this piece over two weeks in spring 2026. But a full-scale project like Nammos Amaala is so much more than showing up at the site to put shells on a wall. Planning and administration are the heavier parts and every step matters: design, mapping the flow, sourcing, transport issues, method statement, wall load calculation, legal matters, risk assessment, approving the assistant team, gear and material specifications, work conditions, adhesive tests, sample production and daily mail communication with the art curator prior to the final approval. In this case, from a committee of ten interior designers: “Shellman, we love your proposal. You guys go ahead!”

Detail of the shell surface showing individual mussel shells and their flow
Finding a shape among shapes; shells showing off their own will.
Buster Eriksson in discussion with a Red Sea Global representative in front of the wall
Checking it out, talking it through with Red Sea Global.
Spare mussel shells sorted and packed in a box
Spare shells, sorted, sanded and boxed for the years to come.
A team member's hands placing mussel shells on the wall
Shells that would end up as waste, turn into sustainable art.
The curved shell wall in the hotel lobby beside a tiled column
As you walk through the lobby the wall comes to life.
Buster Eriksson on a ladder cleaning the finished wall with compressed air
Our time was compressed, as was the air for final cleaning.
The finished Fields of Mytilus shell wall in the lobby of Nammos Resort Amaala
No more work in progress. It’s done. 18 days from first to the last shell.

Anywhere in the world

This artwork – Fields of Mytilus – proves that our approach to shell design works, whether we scale it up or down. We plan the project from the first call to the last sign-off, we source the material, we go to the site and if needed we build a team on the spot, train it and lead the way. The completed artwork is handed over with a maintenance manual and spare shells so the owner can look after it. It means a piece like this can be made anywhere in the world, with a final result and paperwork that satisfies any curator, contractor or developer of size. Did any of this make you curious about a shell project? Don’t hesitate to get in touch for more information.

Buster Eriksson and Mikael Hjärtsjö standing in front of the finished Fields of Mytilus wall
Fields of Mytilus by Shellman Scandinavia. Buster, Mikael and 45,000 mussel shells.

“We experienced two inspiring weeks of close collaboration with our dedicated team, bringing Shellman's vision of something truly unique to life. We are proud to have been chosen by Red Sea Global and Majaz Art Curators to contribute to this remarkable destination — and to have created something that hopefully will stay with every guest at Nammos Amaala, long after they leave.”

Buster Eriksson, Shellman Scandinavia
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