Title of work Night of the Basilosaurus
Client Bexley Council and Bow Arts
Date of work 2026
Medium Lantern Parade - LED light, PVA glue, willow, wire
Venue Bexleyheath Broadway, London

Night of the Basilosaurus is a lantern parade with a giant prehistoric whale I made which is accompanied by lanterns made by local residents through workshops at Bexley Central Library. During the Eocene Epoch 56 to 39 million years ago Bexley was under a shallow tropical sea. That time was characterised by a warmer global climate that significantly helped mammals' evolution and biodiversity. To celebrate Bexley's evolutionary history I wanted to create Eocene Sea animal lanterns including a life-sized Basilosaurus, 14 - 20 metres long. Basilosaurus is the largest whale species that lived there. 

Through the workshops, hundreds of local residents made one hundred individual lanterns inspired by ancient marine life. These prehistoric marine animals included, sea angel, dumbo octopus, shark, angler fish, starfish, jelly fish, sting ray, horseshoe crab and turtle.

Due to rapid global warming in the present era, climate change is now causing large marine animals to disappear, we must think about how to support our oceans and the bio-diverse community living there. Together I wanted the Bexley's night sky to turn into an ancient sea.