“The ‘blueprint’ for the Exbury Egg, echoes its symbolism as a blueprint of life. Aesthetically perfect, eggs contain in embryo the essentials for new life. In an urban 21st century world where we are increasingly disconnected from nature he wanted to use this ancient archetypal symbol to nurture re-enchantment with the natural world, as a step toward a sustainable future.

The Exbury Egg is a sculptural form that evolves and changes through time as it is bleached by the sun, scoured by wind and rain and below the waterline accrues algae, worms and barnacles; an evolving form that echoes changes to the surrounding landscape itself and turns the egg into a calendar of the seasons. The shape was inspired by The Eggs of seabirds who make their nests on the shore; it also relates to the type of traditional boat building techniques which have been used for centuries on the Beaulieu River. The Egg, approximately 6 metres long and 3.6 metres in diameter, was built locally by boat-builder Paul Baker for a budget of £40,000.