A new children’s trail at the University of Warwick Sculpture Park invites families to explore art, nature and memory – all through the eyes of a little hermit crab.
A new children’s trail has opened at the University of Warwick Sculpture Park to honour the life of five-year-old Soh Morimura Ingram, who grew up close to the campus. Shaped by the family’s memories in the park, the trail gently encourages children to explore, imagine, and see the space through Soh’s story.
Created with Warwick Arts Centre’s curatorial team, the trail grew from a picture book made by Soh’s parents – artist Fuyuko Morimura and Roland Ingram, formerly of the University of Warwick – following the loss of their young son. Through art and storytelling, it offers children a way to reflect, discover and connect with the world around them.
For Soh’s family, the Sculpture Park was a place of joy and play, giving it special meaning as the setting for this project. In the months after his death, his parents channelled their grief into creativity, writing a book for their younger son Rin, who kept asking: “Where is Soh?”.
The trail brings that story to life: a boy who slips out each night in search of his big brother and meets a tiny hermit crab who has lost his shell and become separated from his family. Through their journey together, the boy begins to understand that his brother hasn’t disappeared, but, like the crab, is finding a new way to be seen and reunited with those he loves.
Working in partnership with Coventry-based Yikki Design, the project features new Chigiri-e (torn paper collage) illustrations and a soft colour palette drawn from the original book. Soh’s carefully handwritten name, from when he had just learned to write the alphabet, is incorporated into the trail, connecting his story directly to the sculptures.
Children are invited to imagine the sculptures as new shells for the hermit crab and to see the world around them in creative new ways. A fold-out origami-style leaflet transforms into a pop-up house and map to guide them along the trail.
Soh’s parents, Roland and Fuyuko, said: “Working with Warwick Arts Centre on this trail has been unforgettable.
“‘Stay creative and stay hungry’ has always been Fuyuko’s motto as an artist. However, missing our son means we will always be hungry.
“Grieving is a hard process, but a powerful one, that has driven the creation of Soh’s Trail. The Arts Centre team have helped to turn this energy into a piece of art for children to enjoy.
“We wouldn’t have been able to do it without them.” Principal Curator Sarah Shalgosky added: “This has been a very special project, full of care and love.
“I’m so inspired by the way that everyone shared their best creative talents to make this beautiful trail leaflet. I find it very moving that Soh’s careful writing of his name will go into the hands and homes of thousands of people – a little hermit crab connecting children and their carers.”
Visitors can pick up a copy of the trail leaflet from the Warwick Arts Centre foyer, or explore the trail online at Soh’s Trail.
