COSMIC FIRE TURTLE

The image of a Cosmic Turtle with the earth spinning on its back appears in multiple cultural mythologies. Building on this symbolism, The Cosmic Fire Turtle is imagined as a relic for future generations that depicts our world spinning in a state of flux, where humanity must make a choice. The sculpture is constructed out of steel and integrates recycled materials. The hollow globe has a hidden door to feed logs into the fire, and the shell and legs of the turtle are illuminated using LEDs.

As part of the outreach mission of this project, Portal Arts conducted workshops with patients and families at Doernbecker Children’s Hospital about human impact on the environment and integrated their drawings of endangered animals into the sculpture. The aim of this piece is to use art to highlight the fragility of our environment and inspire us individually and collectively to take action for a sustainable future.

The Cosmic Fire Turtle is the second piece in our Endangered Species Series; it debuted at the 2019 Portland Winter Light Festival.