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Sheldonian sculptor to be honoured with exhibition

Chris McHugh
BBC News
Norman McBeath RSA The sculptor Michael Black is pictured reclining in an old armchair in his home. The photo is black and white, and he sits in front of a large stone fireplace. He is wearing baggy black trousers, with a checked shirt over a white top. A bookshelf can be seen along with a surface littered with notebooks and other itemsNorman McBeath RSA
'Michael Black: Chisel, Wood, Stone' will celebrate the renowned sculptor who died in 2019

A renowned sculptor who carved the replacement figure heads at Oxford's Sheldonian Theatre is to be celebrated in a new exhibition.

Oxford sculptor Michael Black, who died in 2019, was known for restoring the Emperor Heads, as well as stonework at churches and colleges across the city.

The exhibition, Michael Black: Chisel, Wood, Stone, will feature material loaned by his family, including three short films made from archival footage of the artist at home and work.

It will run from 15 March to 1 June at Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock.

Oxfordshire County Council Michael Black is pictured sculpting the head figurines known as the Emperor's Heads mounted on pillars outside the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford. A man can be seen at the foot of the ladder watching the sculptor at work.Oxfordshire County Council
Michael Black (seen on the ladder) spent two years carving replacement Emperor Heads at the Sheldonian Theatre, which were installed in 1972

Councillor Neil Fawcett, from Oxfordshire County Council, said: "This is an opportunity to discover this important artist's legacy.

"Through loans and archival material from Black's family we are treated to an intimate insight into the artist's life."

The original set of 13 Emperor Heads was commissioned by Sir Christopher Wren and carved by William Byrd when the Sheldonian was built between 1664 and 1669.

In 2019, two new heads were temporarily added to represent women from different ethnic backgrounds.

An artichoke-shaped fountain, which once served wine, will also be on display in the museum's garden during the exhibition.

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