Bristol artist Luke Jerram unveils new piece marking UK COVID vaccine milestone
Posted on: 05 Feb 2021All profits from the five sculptures will go towards helping communities heavily impacted by the pandemic.
Internationally-renowned, Bristol-based artist Luke Jerram has today (Friday 5 February) unveiled a brand-new sculpture of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in recognition of the ten millionth jab administered in the UK.
The artwork, measuring 34cm across, is one million times larger than the actual nanoparticle, crafted from the same glass used to produce medical scientific equipment like test tubes and distilleries.
Just five pieces have been made, with all profits set to be donated to Médecins Sans Frontières, a charity dedicated to supporting those worst affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Artist Luke Jerram with his finished Oxford-AstraZeneca sculpture.
Jerram's new piece is the latest in his ongoing Glass Microbiology sculpture series, taking around a month to complete alongside his team at the National Glass Centre in Sunderland.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca model follows on from the artist's original COVID-19 sculpture released back in March 2020, which raised more than £17,500 for charity.
Photos of the artwork went on to be used by academics and journalists globally for use in science communication, and the sculptures currently sit in some of the world's most iconic museums and galleries, from New York's Metropolitan Museum to the Museum of Glass in Shanghai.
The spread of coronavirus has inspired one Bristol-based artist.
— PA Media (@PA) March 18, 2020
Luke Jerram's glass sculpture of Covid-19, measuring 23cm in diameter, is a million times larger than the actual virus. It was commissioned five weeks ago for the Duke University School of Engineering in America pic.twitter.com/14F1f5pKvf
Having tested positive for the virus in November last year, Jerram says he's still feeling the effects of COVID-19, but used his experience as motivation to continue raising awareness of the efforts of those producing successful vaccines.
"When I created a sculpture of Covid-19 back in March, little did I know I'd later be among those to contract the virus. It's an awful disease and two months on, my sense of smell is shot, I have tinnitus and still feel tired at times," he said.
"During my recovery, it became clear to me that my next artwork should focus on the vaccine, our way out of this global crisis, as a tribute to the scientists and medical teams who have been working collaboratively across the world to fight the virus.
"It's brilliant that such effective vaccines have been created in such a short space of time and that here in the UK we've been able to role them out so quickly.
"However, the fight against the disease is a global one, which is why I wanted to support Médecins Sans Frontières, through the sale of these sculptures."
For more information on Luke Jerram's work, or to follow news and updates in 2021, head to his website or find him on Twitter.
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Matt is a Journalism graduate and writer, passionate about supporting Bristol music, art and independent business. Get in touch via email at matt@365bristol.com.
