Chichester Cathedral sculptures depict refugee suffering

Shadows of the Wanderer by Ana Maria Pacheco is in the north transept of Chichester Cathedral

An exhibition of 12 figures, illustrating the suffering of refugees, has opened at Chichester Cathedral.

The set of sculptures called "Shadows of the Wanderer" by Brazilian artist Ana Maria Pacheco is carved out of a single lime tree.

At the centre, a young man carries an older man on his back, with 10 figures reacting in the shadows.

Amnesty International UK welcomed the work as "timely and poignant".

Its director Kate Allen said: "Visitors will experience not just their own reaction to the two desperate figures that flee, but also the varied and complex reactions of the other carved figures that witness their suffering."

The cathedral said the depiction reflects current debates about exile, migration and the displacement of people struggling to escape persecution.

The installation shows 12 oversize figures depicting the experience of refugees

Acclaimed sculptor and artist Ana Maria Pacheco was born in Brazil and has lived and worked in England since 1973

Ana Maria Pacheco said she was inspired by the ancient Virgil poem Aeneid, in which a Trojan Aeneas carries his lame father on his back, leading refugees from the burning ruins of Troy.

The exhibition in the cathedral's north transept is on display until 14 November.