Canterbury's damaged underwater statues replaced

Artist Jason deCaires Taylor has replaced his 2008 sculptures with one of a woman, made from glass, steel and LED lights

A set of underwater statues in the River Stour in Canterbury which were damaged beyond repair have been replaced.

Alluvia, by Kent sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, was first installed in 2008 but in July Canterbury City Council said the two underwater figures needed an overhaul.

The new statue will be formally gifted to the city by Mr deCaires Taylor at Westgate Towers on Sunday.

The sculpture is just one woman, made from glass, steel and LED lights, and is fitted with environmental sensors.

The original sculptures, made from cement and resin, were inspired by Sir John Everett Millais’s 1851–52 painting, Ophelia.

After 16 years in place, the two figures were eroded by the Stour's fast-flowing water.

The Canterbury Commemoration Society (CCS) had originally commissioned restoration works, but the artist agreed to a replacement statue after the originals were deemed beyond repair.

The society's Stuart Ross said: "It is challenging, it is arresting, and it makes us think but it's also very beautiful.”

The original statues from 2008 were worn down by the River Stour's current

Mr DeCaires Taylor, who was born in Dover and raised in Canterbury, has created underwater artworks all over the world, including Mexico, Lanzarote and the Maldives.

Canterbury City Council cabinet member for culture Charlotte Cornell said: “Combining contemporary art with heritage is at the forefront of our approach to public art and Alluvia is the perfect piece for this location."