If you wander through Hogan Park at Highlands Creek in Aurora Highlands community east of Denver, you’ll quickly discover that this neighborhood isn’t just about new homes and green walking paths. It’s become a canvas for art that feels almost alive. Two sculptures, in particular, anchor the experience: Umi and Broken but Together.
Umi: The Mother of All Things
Rising more than 21 feet tall, Umi is hard to miss. Created by South African artist Daniel Popper, Umi combines the strength of earth and the grace of humanity in a figure that seems to grow right out of the ground. Her form, a woman intertwined with tree-like roots, invites visitors to walk beneath her limbs and pause beneath her gaze.
The sculpture’s name, Umi, means “ocean” in Japanese, a nod to the vast, life-giving force that connects all living things. The piece draws on the concept of Gaia, the primordial mother of life, casting Umi not just as a work of art but as a symbol of our shared connection to the natural world.
Visitors often talk about how Umi feels welcoming and grounding, like the statue itself is breathing with the rhythms of the natural world around her. At dusk, light-mapping projections bring her to life even further, giving Umi an almost mystical presence after dark.
Broken but Together: Reflecting Unity in Steel
Not far from Umi stands another figure of connection—but this time forged from shiny, mirrored steel. Broken but Together, by Belgian artist Michael Benisty, is a 25-foot sculpture of two figures embracing. From a distance, their gleaming surfaces catch the Colorado sun; up close, you notice the missing chunks and fractured edges in their forms.
Benisty’s work isn’t just about balance and beauty, it’s about resilience. The sculpture’s fractured bodies reflect the idea that even when we’re broken or imperfect, we can still come together and support one another.
More Than Just Sculptures
Together, Umi and Broken but Together are cornerstones of what’s been described as an outdoor art gallery along a two-mile trail through Hogan Park. Commissioned and curated by developer Carla Ferreira, these works are just two pieces in a growing collection meant to inspire creativity, unity, and reflection.
For locals, the experience of seeing these sculptures is more than sightseeing, it’s about participating in a living space where art and life intersect.
At a time when much of modern development can feel cookie-cutter and forgettable, these sculptures stand as beacons of imagination. They remind us that even in a new suburban neighborhood, art can provoke emotion, conversation, and community. Umi teaches awe and connection to nature and shared life. Broken but Together invites empathy and hope.
If you’re ever in Aurora Highlands (Aurora, Colorado, USA) and want a thought-provoking walk through art, make sure you plan enough time to experience both their beauty and their meaning up close.