FAMOUS Black Country sculptor Luke Perry is making new headlines with his latest striking artwork – in India.

Luke, whose studio is in Cradley Heath and who lives in Stourbridge, was featured in the Times of India newspaper for a statue he is working on for the Sikh community to be erected in Wednesfield.

He was asked to create a sculpture to commemorate a legendary battle fought by the Sikhs in 1897 and has just created the clay model of a figure standing almost 10 feet tall.

Luke is well known for his giant artworks, including in the Black Country the Titanic anchor at Netherton and more recently the temporary Wings and Scrubs tribute to NHS workers in Bearwood, Sandwell.

These pictures give a short-lived glimpse of how the final sculpture will look, for the clay model will shortly be encased and then taken apart to mould and not seen again until it is assembled into its final bronze statue.

It will stand on a granite plinth in a green space outside near Wednesfield library and is due to be erected in August next year.

The statue portrays a soldier from the battle of Saragarhi when 21 Sikhs fighting for the British Raj fought an estimated 10,000 Afghan tribesmen in what is considered one of the greatest last stand battles in military history.

The battle is important in Sikh culture and is commemorated on September 12 as Saragarhi Day.

The battle has never been commemorated by a sculpture – until now.

Luke is well known for his monumental artworks celebrating the heritage of the industrial revolution. For more information go to: https://www.industrialheritagestronghold.com/