As Byron as it gets: Inverted yoga sculpture finds perfect home

A SCULPTURE of a woman doing yoga by local artist Laila Bell has been unveiled in the courtyard at Jonson Lane in Byron Bay.

Called Yoga Pose, the life-sized clay figure cast in bronze depicts a female figure in an inverted yoga pose, balanced on her shoulders with her heart lifted skywards.

Bell, who was born in Denmark and studied at the Copenhagen School of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Academy of San Francisco, said the position invites us to pause and experience the world from a different perspective, asking for patience, trust and a steady breath.

“For me, this work is about resilience, about finding balance when life feels uncertain and trusting that even when we are turned upside down, we can remain supported,” she said.

“I love that she now lives here among greenery, stone and filtered light. My hope is that those who pass her might pause, even briefly. To breathe. To soften. And perhaps to see the world from another angle.”

Jason Dunn from JD Property Group, who acquired the sculpture through Thomgallery in the Arts and Industry Estate, said the work was perfect for the community and reminded passersby to slow down and take a minute.

Jonson Lane is a mixed-use development at the western end of Jonson Street which mixes luxury residential apartments with restaurants such as Light Years, Pixie Italian and Bar Heather.

It won the 2024 Urban Development Institute of Australia Award for Best Boutique Development in NSW.