Visitors flock to see 'real' people sculptures

A cathedral exhibition of sculptures depicting "real people" has attracted hundreds of visitors, organisers said.

Sean Henry's Am I My Brother's Keeper? exhibition opened at Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire, on Friday.

Mr Henry's 28 artworks are between 38cm (15in) and 3m (9ft 8in) high and include examples of "polychrome" art - a style in which figures can be painted to give a realistic impression.

One sculpture of a weary-looking man in a grey suit had to be transported on the back of a lorry and lifted into place by crane.

The exhibition at the cathedral features 28 sculptures positioned on vacant plinths and in other spaces

The hand-painted terracotta and bronze figures have been positioned inside and outside the cathedral.

A cathedral spokeswoman said more than 1,000 people visited the "thought provoking" exhibition on Friday and Saturday.

Exhibition curator Jacquiline Creswell said Mr Henry's work conveyed the "depth and complexity" of the "human experience".

"In a world sometimes plagued by division and indifference, the question, Am I My Brother’s Keeper? can be interpreted as an inquiry into one’s moral responsibility towards others," she said.

"It prompts reflection on the extent to which individuals can support one other."

Sean Henry

• Sean Henry’s work has been exhibited in Europe, Australasia and the United States

• The English artist was born in 1965 and lives and works in Winchester, Hampshire

• His sculptures have been installed in locations across the globe from the Artic Circle in Norway to the South Island of New Zealand

• Since 2015, his sculpture of Sir Tim Berners-Lee, founder of the World Wide Web, has been part of the permanent collection in the National Portrait Gallery in London

• The National Gallery's website says: "Polychrome literally means 'many coloured'. A statue or altarpiece which is described as polychrome is usually made of wood, terracotta or stone which has been painted either for decorative effect, or to give a more realistic impression."

Mr Henry was "very excited" to be exhibiting in and around the "ancient space of Ely Cathedral" and was grateful for the opportunity.

"My sculptures , while often inspired by aspects of real people, are rarely portraits and not motivated by status as in much traditional figurative art," he explained on his website.

"We don’t know who they are, and while the figures might seem familiar and, I hope, emotionally present, the ambiguity around their status is an important part of how and why we engage with them."

"I am interested in what it is to be human and inspired by the felt sense of shared humanity.

"Visual art is by nature non-verbal, so I resist giving each piece more than the broad outline of a story.

"I prefer the way that meanings and motivations within artworks can come alive in the mind of the viewer and invite the viewer to fill in the detail should they wish."

The sculptor said his figures "convey the vulnerability, strength and resilience that exists within each individual"

Am I My Brother’s Keeper? runs until 1 September.

Entry is included in the price of a cathedral admission ticket.

The exhibition is due to be formally opened by the Culture Secretary and South East Cambridgeshire MP Lucy Frazer.