Long-spined sea urchin

It looks like a creature from another world—black, almost transparent, with long, vibrating spines that shimmer in the light. The long-spined sea urchin (Diadema setosum) is the eye of the reef—sensitive, vigilant, and vital. It maintains the balance between chaos and order. By grazing on algae, it prevents them from smothering the corals. If it disappears, the reef will become overgrown, and with it, the vibrant colors of the tropical seas will die. But its survival is threatened: rising water temperatures, disease, and human intervention have wiped out entire populations—in some regions, up to 90%. Where it is absent, the reef withers, like a body without a heartbeat. The Diadema setosum is not a symbol of danger, but of fragility. It reminds us that even what is sharp and forbidding is often the most protective. It doesn't sting to injure. It stings to survive.

Formats & Works per individual work

(Image shows four works from the series.)

60 × 60 cm → · limited to 75

80 × 80 cm → · limited to 50

100 × 100 cm → · limited to 30

120 × 120 cm → · limited to 13

Each Brandhoek work receives an original HAHNEMÜHLE certificate of authenticity and is additionally registered via VERISART, one of the leading international blockchain platforms for digital provenance.