projects

2024 – Alluvia. The Stour River, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom.

Positioned on the bed of the River Stour, Alluvia is a figurative sculpture whose posture mirrors the river’s flow, symbolising its perpetual movement and the invisible barrier created by water—suggesting the feeling of being trapped behind a window. The sculpture’s title, Alluvia, references the alluvial deposits of sand left by the river’s fluctuating water levels. As the river rises and falls with the seasons and as light shifts, the sculpture transforms—first through the interplay of light and shadow, and later as reeds and algae gather around it. This natural cycle evokes a reflection on memory, questioning how we perceive fleeting images and ideas that remain fluid and ever-changing. The artwork is made from recycled glass, LEDs, and marine-grade stainless steel. It incorporates environmental monitoring sensors and is illuminated from within at night, further enhancing its dynamic relationship with its surroundings.

Materials: Recycled glass, marine grade stainless steel

Click here for more information about Alluvia or visit the gallery for more images.

2019 & 2023 – Museum of Underwater Art (MOUA), Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

The Museum of Underwater Art (MOUA) is the first underwater museum in the Southern Hemisphere, showcasing the works of Jason deCaires Taylor. His artworks highlight a range of disciplines, including marine science, coral restoration, and environmental art and architecture. MOUA offers a fresh perspective on understanding the Great Barrier Reef and its complex ecosystem. The first artwork added to John Brewer Reef was The Coral Greenhouse. This biomorphic architectural structure is gradually blending into its environment, reflecting an organic architectural philosophy that emphasises harmony between design and nature. Its porous, skeletal framework allows for optimal light penetration and provides a refuge for various marine species, from filter feeders and schooling fish to large predators. Designed with numerous habitat spaces, the artwork supports and safeguards marine life, promoting biodiversity and prosperity within the reef. At the heart of The Coral Greenhouse is a series of figurative sculptures modelled after children from local and international schools. These sculptures depict the children studying and tending to coral cuttings salvaged from the seabed, symbolising their role as caretakers of the future. The message emphasises the importance of cultivating a relationship with the marine world, recognising its fragility and the need for conservation. The next generation will be the guardians of the Great Barrier Reef.

In 2023, Taylor expanded MOUA with the Ocean Sentinels, a collection of eight hybrid sculptures combining human forms with natural marine elements. Made from sustainable, low-carbon, earth-friendly concrete, these highly textured pieces are designed to be colonised by marine life. The human figures featured in the sculptures represent leaders in marine science and conservation, while the surrounding marine forms symbolise their specific areas of expertise. These artworks serve as an educational gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, celebrating its ecological significance, its connections to leading marine science institutions, and its deep ties to indigenous cultures.

Materials: Marine grade stainless steel, zinc, pH-neutral, geo-polymer cement, basalt, and aggregates

Click here for more information about MOUA or visit the gallery for more images of The Coral Greenhouse and the Ocean Sentinels.

2021 – Museum of Underwater Sculpture Museum Ayia Napa (MUSAN), Ayia Napa, Cyprus.

The Museum of Underwater Sculpture Ayia Napa (MUSAN) is the world’s first underwater forest, featuring 93 artworks, some in the form of trees and others figurative. The tree-like sculptures are specifically designed to attract marine life on a large scale, allowing the installations to evolve organically. Positioned at varying depths, they create the impression of a path through a dense forest, with some trees floating just below the surface, forming a complex, multi-layered environment for marine species. Marine life in the Mediterranean has drastically declined over the past 20 years. To combat this, the underwater forest is constructed from inert, pH-neutral materials that encourage the growth of diverse marine flora and fauna, revitalising the previously barren seabed where MUSAN is located. Situated within a Marine Protected Area just 200 meters off the Ayia Napa coastline, the museum is accessible to both divers and snorkelers. Among the sculpted trees, figures of children can be seen playing, symbolising our deep-rooted need for nature as a place for exploration, discovery, and imagination. Over the past 50 years, children have become increasingly disconnected from the wild spaces that once existed. The forest children, some holding cameras as they play hide-and-seek, direct their lenses toward humanity, calling for a future where nature’s magic and mystery are restored. This imagery highlights the urgent need to “re-wild” our oceans and rekindle our relationship with the natural world. All of Jason deCaires Taylor’s works are part of an eco-art movement, where the artwork interacts with its environment and changes over time. There is no static final piece—only a dynamic, evolving seascape. As the sculptures are gradually colonised by marine biomass, nature will take over the artist’s creations, providing food and shelter for various species while reminding us of our intrinsic connection to the natural world.

Materials: pH-neutral cement and marine grade stainless steel

Click here for more information about MUSAN or visit the gallery for more images.

2021 – Cannes Underwater Eco-Museum, Cannes, France

The Cannes Underwater Eco-Museum (Écomusée sous-marin) marks Jason deCaires Taylor’s first installation in the Mediterranean Sea, a project that took over four years to complete. It features six monumental, three-dimensional portraits, each over two meters tall and based on local community members from various ages and professions. Each face is dramatically enlarged and split into two parts, with the outer section resembling a mask. This design connects to Île Sainte-Marguerite’s history, known for being the prison of the Man with the Iron Mask, and also reflects Cannes’ association with the performing arts and its famous annual film festival. The split mask concept also serves as a metaphor for the ocean. One side symbolises strength and resilience, while the other represents fragility and decay. Just as we perceive the ocean’s surface from land as either calm and serene or powerful and majestic, this is the “mask” of the sea. Beneath the surface lies a delicate and vulnerable ecosystem that has suffered from years of degradation and pollution caused by human activities. The sculptures are carefully positioned near Île Sainte-Marguerite, nestled between protected Posidonia seagrass meadows in the island’s southern region. Their textured surfaces and habitat-forming foundations are designed to attract marine fauna and flora, supporting the regeneration of the area. The museum’s location was previously occupied by abandoned marine infrastructure, and substantial clearing efforts were needed to transform the area for its new conservation-focused purpose.

Materials: pH-neutral cement and marine grade stainless steel

Click here for more information about Cannes Underwater Eco-Museum or visit the gallery for more images.

2019 – Ocean Siren, Townsville, Australia.

Ocean Siren is a 4-meter-tall illuminated sculpture modelled after an Indigenous girl from the Wulgurukaba tribe who is holding a traditional communication device known as a Bayliss shell. Acting as a visual siren or warning signal, the artwork’s surface changes colour at night to reflect daily average water temperature data, drawing attention to the threat rising sea temperatures pose to the Great Barrier Reef. This piece highlights Townsville’s scientific and technological expertise, with live data transmitted via a 4G internet connection from a weather station at Davies Reef to the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). The sculpture’s structure is divided into two halves: one facing the ocean, crafted from solid welded 316 stainless steel, and the other facing the shore, made from durable translucent acrylic. Elevated six meters above the seabed, the sculpture never touches the water. It contains 202 multi-coloured LED lights, which are activated at sunset and gradually shift in colour, mimicking a heat-sensing camera’s display. The artwork can be viewed from various locations along the coastline or up close from the nearby Strand Jetty. Ocean Siren is designed to bring reef science into an urban setting in a live, visual, and emotive manner, translating the complex issue of climate change and coral reef vulnerability into a powerful and easily understood message.

Materials: 316 stainless steel and acrylic

Click here for more information about Ocean Siren or visit the gallery for more images.

2018 – Nexus, Oslo Fjords, Norway

Nexus is situated in and around the waters of an Oslo fjord. Commissioned by Christian Ringnes and Sjøholmen Children’s Art Centre to enhance environmental education, the installation features 10 underwater sculptures that are being monitored to track the affects of colonisation by marine life. The local marine environment has seen notable improvements, including increases in crustaceans, mussels, and clear tubular sea squirts, all of which help improve water quality in this urban waterway and attracts larger marine species. Visitors can view the artworks by snorkelling, diving, or using glass-bottom canoes. In winter, a hole can be cut in the ice to allow access for experienced ice divers. To connect the artworks with the land, artist Jason deCaires Taylor created bronze figures of a father and daughter standing hand-in-hand on a floating dock textured like water, gazing into the fjord—symbolising the important connection between the humanity and the environment.

Materials: pH-neutral cement, polyurethane foam, bronze, and marine grade stainless steel

Click here for more information about Nexus or visit the gallery for more images.

2018 – Coralarium, Sirru Fen Fushi, Maldives

Coralarium is located in the shallow waters of the largest lagoon in the Shaviyani Atoll. This semi-submerged tidal gallery features a collection of sculptural artworks positioned along the intertidal waterline and on the seabed. When viewed from the water, the hybrid sculptures symbolise humanity’s deep dependence on the natural world. The artworks incorporate moulds of endemic banyan trees, screw pines, and corals, illustrating our interconnectedness with the environment. From the shore, the gallery’s six-meter-high stainless steel cube reflects light from the horizon, merging the sky and sea into a unified artistic vision. The sculptures contain dead coral collected from the shoreline, signifying how coral reefs are ingrained in the identity of the Maldivians. This embedded coral serves as a stark warning of the environmental crisis threatening the future of this low-lying nation. However, hope lies in the evolution of the installation, as the sculptures colonise by surrounding coral and marine life, creating a new ecosystem.

Materials: pH-neutral cement, jesmonite, basalt, marine grade stainless steel and aggregates

Click here for more information about the Coralarium or visit the gallery for more images.

2017 – Nest – Gili Islands, Indonesia

Nest, commissioned by the eco-conscious island resort BASK, features 48 life-size figures arranged in a circular formation symbolising time and continuity. Installed in shallow waters off the coast of Gili Meno, the bespoke artwork is within swimming distance from a public beach, ensuring accessibility for all.The interconnected sculptures are designed to foster marine ecosystems and within a year, soft corals and sponges began colonising the structure, attracting other marine species. Over time, delicate hard corals appeared, eventually leading to the formation of a fully established reef. With a significant portion of the world’s coral reefs lost in recent decades and more at risk, Nest seeks to remind visitors of the fragile treasures beneath the ocean’s surface.

Materials: pH-neutral cement, basalt, marine grade stainless steel and aggregates

Click here for more information about Nest or visit the gallery for more images.

2016 – Museo Atlántico – Las Coloradas, Lanzarote, Spain

Museo Atlántico, Europe’s first underwater museum and the first to be installed in the Atlantic Ocean, is located on a previously barren seabed within Lanzarote’s UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Celebrated works include Crossing the Rubicon, The Raft of Lampedusa, and The Human Gyre. Accessible to both divers and snorkelers, the museum’s artworks are configured to aggregate fish on a large scale and support a variety of marine life. The bio-receptive surfaces of the sculptures become living entities themselves and the pH-neutral concrete serves as a foundation for coral growth, drawing in local fish species, increasing biomass, and creating new ecosystems. Although the underwater museum is a permanent installation meant to endure for centuries, it is an ever-evolving exhibition as marine life continually transforms the sculptures. The artworks forge a compelling dialogue between art, nature, and science, addressing issues such as the commodification and exploitation of natural resources and the urgent threats facing the world’s oceans. They also reflect the social and political divides in today’s world.

Materials: pH-neutral cement, basalt, marine grade stainless steel and aggregates

Click here for more information about Museo Atlántico or visit the gallery for more images.

2015 – The Rising Tide – River Thames, London UK

In 2015, Jason deCaires Taylor installed The Rising Tide in the Thames River, with the United Kingdom’s Houses of Parliament as a dramatic backdrop. The works symbolises humanity’s desire to control natural forces, but its placement in the vast, powerful, shifting waters of the Thames emphasises our inherent vulnerability and fragility. The tidal works are loosely inspired by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, with the horses’ heads replaced by oil well pumps, also referred to as a “nodding donkey”. The suited figures reflect denial or indifference toward the climate crisis, while the young riders represent hope for future change. Throughout their time in London, the sculptures were primarily visible from land, gradually revealed and concealed by the river’s natural tides. This tidal rhythm created a striking metaphor for rising sea levels, illustrating how limited our time to act is. Yet, the artwork also conveyed a message of hope, resetting with each tide and offering a daily reminder of the opportunity for change.

Materials: pH-neutral cement, basalt, marine grade stainless steel and aggregates

Click here for more information about The Rising Tide or visit the gallery for more images.

2014 Ocean Atlas. New Providence in Nassau, Bahamas

Ocean Atlas features a striking depiction of a young Bahamian girl bearing the weight of the ocean on her shoulders, inspired by the Greek myth of Atlas, the Titan tasked with holding up the heavens. This artwork serves as a powerful symbol of the immense burden we are placing on future generations as our oceans and coral reefs face collapse due to the climate crisis, emphasising the shared responsibility we all have to prevent further environmental degradation. Standing 5 meters tall, Ocean Atlas is the largest single figurative sculpture ever installed underwater. Due to its tremendous size, the piece had to be assembled underwater in sections using a groundbreaking technique developed by artist Jason deCaires Taylor. Constructed from sustainable, pH-neutral materials, the sculpture not only provides an artificial reef for marine life to colonise but also helps redirect tourist activity away from overburdened natural reefs. The monumental artwork continues to attract regular global media attention, constantly keeping the focus on ocean conservation at the forefront of public awareness.

Materials: pH-neutral cement, basalt, marine grade stainless steel and aggregates

Click here for more information about Ocean Atlas or visit the gallery for more images.

2009 – Museo Subacuático de Arte (MUSA) – Cancún, México

The Museo Subacuático de Arte (MUSA) is one of the world’s largest and most ambitious underwater art installations. Situated near Isla Mujeres and off the coast of Punta Nizuc in Cancún, the museum showcases over 500 life-sized sculptures by Jason deCaires Taylor, depicting a movement of people dedicated to defending the sea. Featured artworks include The Silent Evolution, Reclamation, The Bankers, and Anthropocene. Spanning over 420 square meters of previously barren seabed, MUSA is divided into two galleries: Salon Machones, which is eight meters deep and accessible to both divers and snorkelers, and Salon Nizuc, which is four meters deep and restricted to snorkelling. The underwater museum was created not only as a bespoke tourist attraction but also to offer new reef substrates and relief for the nearby natural reefs within the Cancún Marine Park that attract over 750,000 annual visitors. Each sculpture was crafted from durable, pH-neutral cement, offering a stable base that promotes coral growth. Positioned downstream from natural reefs, the sculptures provides a space for coral polyps to settle after spawning. Regularly monitored by researchers, the site has developed into a complex reef system that supports marine life, contributing to a significant increase in biomass. The artificial reef is now home to over 2,000 juvenile corals.

Materials: Stainless steel, pH neutral cement, basalt, marine grade stainless steel and aggregates

Click here for more information about MUSA or visit the gallery for more images.