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Art That Cleans Beaches: Ocean Sole’s Conservation Impact at IFAM 2025

Updated: Aug 7

When Ocean Sole travelled from Kenya to Santa Fe for our first appearance at the International Folk Art Market (IFAM), we weren’t just bringing sculptures — we were bringing a message:


Art can be a powerful tool for conservation. Upcycled materials can protect our oceans. Every purchase can drive real, measurable change.


Upcycled flip-flop animal sculptures on display at IFAM 2025, with stat board showing 14,000+ flip-flops recycled.
Our full IFAM 2025 collection — 389 sculptures made from 14,000+ flip-flops. Every piece sold supports jobs, clean beaches, and ocean conservation in Kenya.

In July 2025, we sold 389 handmade animal sculptures crafted from over 14,000 discarded flip-flops — a form of marine waste that clogs waterways across Kenya. The proceeds from this incredible success will directly fund marine conservation, education through art, and community-based initiatives in Kenya.


🌍 What’s the Role of Art in Conservation?

Art connects. It sparks questions, evokes emotion, and makes distant issues personal. For us at Ocean Sole, art is not just an end product — it’s part of a broader effort to tackle flip-flop pollution, support community-based conservation, and spread awareness about ocean plastic recycling projects in East Africa.


Joe Illick holding a recycled flip-flop pangolin sculpture created by Ocean Sole, inspired by his safari memory.
Composer Joe Illick with his adopted pangolin — a reminder of a rare safari encounter and the power of art to spark conservation.

When people interact with our sculptures, they’re not just seeing recycled materials — they’re meeting a story. A turtle carved from flip-flops tells the tale of endangered marine life. A pangolin shows the urgency of protecting trafficked species. This is how we practice education through art in Kenya — and now, around the world.


💚 The Impact of IFAM 2025

Thanks to the generosity of buyers and supporters at IFAM, we achieved three key outcomes:


1. Employment for Kenyan Artisans

The funds raised will sustain dignified, full-time work for our team of upcycled flip-flop artists — part of our commitment as a social enterprise in Kenya. These jobs support families, spark creativity, and offer an alternative to extractive industries.


2. Beach Cleanups & Waste Collection

Each sculpture purchased supports our ongoing flip-flop pollution solutions, including beach cleanups across Kenya’s coastline. To date, we’ve removed hundreds of tonnes of flip-flops from the ocean, transforming waste into wonder.


3. Education & Conservation Outreach

Proceeds also fund conservation education in Kenyan schools, where we use art to inspire the next generation of ocean stewards. Our workshops combine creative expression with environmental science — proving that learning can be joyful, tactile, and transformative.


Woman sitting in colorful garden surrounded by Ocean Sole flip-flop sculptures, including two large giraffe pieces.
One of our amazing collectors relaxing in her vibrant garden with two giraffe masterpieces and more — a true celebration of colourful, sustainable art.

🤝 Building CSR & Environmental Partnerships

Our time at IFAM showed just how much appetite there is for eco-conscious corporate gifts and meaningful CSR environmental partnerships. From companies and curators to educators and design scouts, visitors were seeking ways to combine purpose with creativity — and found it in our work.

In fact, one of our rhino sculptures made from upcycled flip-flops was selected as the emblem of IFAM 2025, proudly featured on every participant badge worn throughout the market. It was more than a symbol — it was a daily reminder that sustainable art from waste can represent hope, resilience, and shared responsibility.

For partners seeking art that gives back, our sculptures offer a tangible, story-driven way to contribute to marine conservation in Kenya, artisan livelihoods, and global awareness campaigns.

Art is a bridge — and we welcome partnerships with organizations ready to align purpose with practice.


Close-up of IFAM 2025 badge featuring Ocean Sole’s recycled flip-flop rhino sculpture design.
Our flip-flop rhino became the official IFAM 2025 badge — worn by every participant and proudly representing art for conservation.

🐘 Stories That Stayed With Us

One of the most moving moments came when composer and pianist Joe Illick adopted our pangolin sculpture — and shared a memory that stopped us in our tracks.

While on safari in Kenya, he’d waited, silently and patiently, in the rain for over an hour, just to witness a pangolin slowly uncurl from its protective coil. In that quiet, magical moment, he connected with one of the world’s rarest, most elusive creatures.

That memory came flooding back when he saw our sculpture — hand-carved by Kenyan artists from discarded flip-flops. He took it home not just as décor, but as a tribute. A reminder. A conversation starter.


With only around 30 pangolins left in Kenya, and as one of the most heavily trafficked mammals on Earth, this gentle species faces enormous threats. But through upcycled flip-flop art, we have a way to tell their story — and remind the world that conservation begins with connection.


This is the power of our work: a pangolin sculpture isn’t just a beautiful object — it’s a tool for education, empathy, and action. It shows that sustainable art from waste can hold weight, provoke questions, and travel far beyond where it began.


Composer Joe Illick and his wife holding a flip-flop pangolin sculpture created by Kenyan artists.
Joe and his wife with their new pangolin sculpture — a piece of art that now carries a lifelong memory and a message of protection.

❓ FAQ Highlights — Answered Through Action


  1. What is the role of art in conservation?

Our work shows that art can visualize problems and solutions. When people see a life-sized lion made from flip-flops, they ask questions — and they remember the answers.


  1. How can art raise awareness?

By turning waste into beauty, we flip the narrative. Each sculpture educates, sparks conversations, and keeps conservation top of mind.


  1. Can art really promote environmental awareness?

    Yes — especially when it’s embedded in a real-world story of impact, like our ocean plastic recycling projects in Kenya.


  2. What’s the connection between artists and the environment?

    Our artists are also conservationists. Every sculpture they carve diverts marine waste and tells a story that educates and empowers.


📦 What’s Next: From Santa Fe to the World

As a global social enterprise, we believe that the next chapter of conservation is creative, collaborative, and community-led.


Kenyan artist Francis holding a bundle of discarded flip-flops used to create Ocean Sole sculptures. CTA: Click to shop sustainable art.
Francis, a senior Ocean Sole artist, showing us how all our sculptures start with a hand-full of colourful flip flops.

Click the image above to shop with impact.


We’re actively seeking new partners — educators, funders, brands — who want to join our mission. Whether it’s hosting a sculpture exhibit, sponsoring a cleanup, or bringing our educational model into your school, Ocean Sole is ready to grow.



Let’s keep the ripple effect going.

📩 Contact us: impact@oceansole.com

🌐 Learn more: www.oceansole.com

📣 Share this story: #ArtForConservation #MySoleStory

 
 
 

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