This year will see an exciting new addition to the Loughborough University campus sculpture collection. Fine Art alumnus Ian Tricker has won the Eccleston Sculpture Competition, which called for proposals for a new sculptural work for installation on the Eccleston Student Engineering Centre, generously funded by a donation from Barry and Valerie Eccleston.

Tricker’s winning design for an as-yet unnamed work takes inspiration from the mechanics and movement of engines: highly appropriate, given the aeronautical and automotive happenings which take place within the building, which is home to a number of extra-curricular student projects.

Tricker’s entry was selected from an incredibly strong collection of proposals from current and former Loughborough University students, from which we selected two runner-up entries. Fine Art BA student Kate Butler’s striking design drew inspiration from the air currents and streamline designs used in aeronautical and automotive engineering, as well as her current study abroad period in Helsinki, with a reference to the city’s famous Sibelius Monument.

The other runner-up entry came from a collective made up of students studying Fine Art, Natural Sciences and Architecture BA students. Natyra Jashari, Chloé Degnan, Lucy Moult and Jagoda M. Smulska drew inspiration from the history of female engineering at Loughborough University to propose a design based on the legendary Spitfire plane, highlighting the role women played in its creation.

It was a real privilege for LU Arts to be involved in this competition and we’re really excited to work with Ian in the coming months as he realises his design. But we really enjoyed reading all the proposals and want to thank everyone who took the time to send one in.

David Bell
Programme Co-Ordinator for LU Arts