This sculpture, titled Oasis on the Ground, was created in 2005 in the United Arab Emirates by Japanese sculptor Yasushi Hori.
Artist: Yasushi Hori. He is a renowned Japanese stone sculptor who has participated in numerous international sculpture symposia around the world.
Title: Oasis on the Ground.
Material: Stone.
Location & Date: Created in the United Arab Emirates in 2005.
Concept & Theme: Oasis on the Ground explores the relationship between water, landscape, and human life in the desert environment. The sculpture is formed from a massive stone block whose upper surface has been carved into a series of gentle, flowing undulations, creating the visual impression of rippling water or waves moving across the surface of the stone.
At the center, a large circular depression forms a distinct focal point, resembling a water basin or natural oasis. Within this recessed form, several sculptural elements emerge, creating a subtle sense of movement and suggesting stones, islands, or forms shaped by water. The contrast between the rough exterior of the stone and the smooth, carefully polished interior reinforces the transition from raw earth to a life-giving landscape.
The title Oasis on the Ground directly connects the sculpture to the cultural and environmental context of the UAE, where an oasis represents much more than a source of water. It is a symbol of life, shelter, fertility, and human settlement within an arid landscape. By transforming a solid block of stone into a composition that evokes water and flowing terrain, Hori creates an abstract interpretation of the oasis as a meeting point between earth and water, permanence and movement, nature and human existence.
The work also reflects Hori’s characteristic approach to stone sculpture: preserving the fundamental mass and geological character of the material while introducing carefully controlled organic forms. The result is a sculpture that appears simultaneously solid and fluid, turning an immovable stone into an image of water and landscape.
Through its restrained geometric composition and flowing surfaces, Oasis on the Ground evokes the idea of life emerging from the earth, while establishing a poetic connection between the natural environment of the UAE and the timeless human search for water and refuge.
