Iconic Body Shop Sculpture Finds New Home At Littlehampton Museum

(c) Giles Penny

A famous sculpture that once greeted visitors outside the Body Shop headquarters is being preserved – thanks to the artist who made it and the woman who posed for it.

The fibreglass figure depicts a woman sitting on two oversized letters from the stack that originally spelled out “The Body Shop.”

It was part of a series of sculptures by artist Giles Penny for the company’s West Sussex headquarters, which was demolished last year.

Penny has restored the work and is donating it to Littlehampton Museum to help preserve the town’s history.

Councillor Freddie Tandy said the sculptures were “well-known and well-loved” and added:

“We are very pleased that one of them can be saved for the town.”

Littlehampton Town Council described the pieces as “iconic,” noting they had been visible from nearby roads since the 1990s and had become a beloved local landmark.

Only a few of the original works survived in a salvageable condition, all requiring repair.

The chosen sculpture was selected in consultation with Penny to represent the entire set and is the first object to be added to the museum under a National Lottery-funded project aimed at collecting and preserving contemporary stories.

The initiative will ensure Littlehampton’s changing history is remembered before memories fade.

Former and current Body Shop staff are also being invited to workshops to share their memories, contributing to oral histories that will accompany the sculpture’s display.