Art Foundation led to global success

With many of his works touring and in permanent collections around the world, millions of people continue to enjoy Luke Jerram’s sculptures, installations and live art projects.

Having started working internationally in 1997, Luke has created a number of extraordinary projects and is well-known for his innovative and large scale public artworks.

His current touring exhibitions making their way around the world include Gaia and Museum of the Moon, and in the UK In Memoriam, which pays tribute to those we have lost, and the contribution of NHS workers, during the pandemic.

Luke studied Art Foundation at the Cheltenham College of Art (which is now the University of Gloucestershire) in 1994, and it was a move which shaped his future career.

He said: “After my A-Levels at Archway School in Stroud, I had a decision to make between going on to university to study engineering, or do a degree in Fine Art.

“To help make the decision, I studied Foundation art at Cheltenham College of Art and can honestly say it was one of the best years of my life. I created a whole range of different artworks over the 12 month period of the course. There was such an exciting and can do atmosphere in the arts school. 

“The quality of teaching there was excellent. At that time it was by far the best place to study Fine Art in the county. My experience there confirmed in me that studying art was the way for me to go. After Cheltenham I did a degree at Cardiff Arts school and I haven’t really looked back since!”

In 2019 he set up and funded both the Dreamtime Fellowship to support recent graduates in his home city of Bristol and the Bristol Schools Arts Fund to support secondary schools in Bristol impacted by austerity.

In 2020 was given an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Bristol, made an Honorary Academician of the RWA and Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.