A 40-tonne sculpture unveiled late last year beneath the waters of Tokunoshima in Japan waits to be reclaimed by fish and coral
Ocean Gaia, unveiled late last year beneath the waters of Tokunoshima in Japan, is both a sculpture and a sanctuary.
Resting five metres below the surface, the 40-tonne piece appears to sleep within a vast limestone cradle, its folds echoing the sand circles created by the white spotted pufferfish and the mountain ridges that line the island.
Although monumental at 5.5 metres wide, the work feels intimate, its stillness amplified by drifting light and the quiet shift of currents. The pregnant figure is Gaia, meaning Earth, the mother of life. She cradles her belly as she sleeps. The sculpture is perforated around the edges so that fish and coral can claim it over time.
Jason deCaires Taylor is the artist behind this work and many of the world’s underwater museums. By using low-carbon, pH-neutral materials designed to be colonised, the surrounding environment gradually transforms the artworks. The sculpture acts as an artificial reef that provides new habitats for marine life while drawing tourists away from natural, fragile areas.
“Ocean Gaia stands as both a symbol of renewal and a gesture toward reconnection between people, the sea and the continuity of life itself,” Taylor told Positive News.
Taylor hopes it will encourage younger islanders to rediscover their coastlines and feel rooted again in the waters that shaped their culture. The result is a quiet meditation on renewal, creation and hope rising from the deep.
Photography: Jason deCaires Taylor
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