LOOKING to highlight the issues discussed at COP26, an Oxfordshire based artist unveiled an eight-foot-tall clay sculpture at Braziers Park, near Wallingford.

John Buckley’s twin Sudanese Water Goddesses has recently arrived at the estate, at the beginning of November to mark the start of the conference in Glasgow.

The artist started this project back in 2000 as a commission that eventually did not go ahead; the sculpture had to be put in storage.

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Made with clay, it started to crack up, giving it a new visual impact, which works with its theme.

The sculpture was inspired Mr Buckley’s my trip to Sudan and the hardships people face because of the drought.

“My sculptures, my three-dimensional objects, are my journal. My travels are my inspiration.

“But this one, all cracked up and staring to disintegrate, I thought it was very appropriate for global warming. This is why we decided to put it out on display.”

Herald Series: Headington SharkHeadington Shark

The artist, who also created the Headington Shark, chose Braziers Park as a background for his sculpture as it offers a visual contrast to the piece.

Mr Buckley said: “The sculpture in Braziers Park works because it is the opposite, there is a contrast.

“The dry clay represents the hardship of the drought, but more the physical impact that it’s having on people.”

The twin Sudanese Water Goddesses have now become a permanent installation in the South Oxfordshire State.

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