3D homes for hermit crabs - in pictures

Born without a shell of its own, a hermit crab lives a peripatetic life, moving from one secondhand shelter to another as it grows Photograph: © Aki Inomata, courtesy of Ai Kowada Gallery

Drawing on these wayfaring creatures for inspiration, artist Aki Inomata has created the ultimate mobile homes as part of a project exploring ideas of residency, nationality and identity Photograph: © Aki Inomata, courtesy of Ai Kowada Gallery

Produced by 3D printing, Inomata’s plastic shells incorporate some of the most stunning architecture from around the world into their exteriors, from the skyscrapers of New York to the houses of Tokyo Photograph: © Aki Inomata, courtesy of Ai Kowada Gallery

To ensure the crustacean is snug in its new home, Inomata employs CT scanning to map the crab’s previous abode before extending the design to make the transparent shelters Photograph: © Aki Inomata, courtesy of Ai Kowada Gallery

Little wonder that the crabs shun their old homes for the swish new shells Photograph: © Aki Inomata, courtesy of Ai Kowada Gallery

The Ksar [fortified city] of Ait-Ben-Haddou in southern Morocco Photograph: © Aki Inomata, courtesy of Ai Kowada Gallery

Temple Photograph: © Aki Inomata, courtesy of Ai Kowada Gallery

The Greek island of Santorini:
You can see a video of Aki at work creating the shells here Photograph: © Aki Inomata, courtesy of Ai Kowada Gallery

You can see more of the artist's work on her website Photograph: © Aki Inomata, courtesy of Ai Kowada Gallery