Baggeridge Brick is extending its relationships with award-winning ceramics experts by housing Chilean sculptor, Fernando Casasempere, the second artist to have used Baggeridge’s facilities in the last 18 months.

The London-based sculptor has been using part of Baggeridge’s Sedgley factory, which also manufactures its Specials Shapes range for the last seven months.

Fernando used Baggeridge’s own clay and firing facilities, in order to create six impressive tree trunk sculptures. At over three metres high and weighing 800 kilos each, the creations only just fit in Baggeridge’s industrial-sized kiln.

Sean Engert, specials manager for Baggeridge said: “We are used to dealing with complex special shapes and large size format pieces but it was truly staggering to see the scale of Fernando’s sculptures, they are a truly stunning achievement and very special specials.”

Fernando was delighted to be offered the use of Baggeridge’s Sedgley-based factory. He commented: “Working at Baggeridge’s factory has been a wonderful experience, I have really appreciated all the help I’ve had especially when it comes to moving the pieces and storing them to dry out before they are fired.

“The tree sculptures have been created to blend in with the landscape in which they will be displayed – a forest – and I am also committed to working in the most environmentally friendly way as possible. I have therefore been experimenting with mixing clay with other industrial waste materials in order to create different textures, which Baggeridge was keen to learn more about.”

Mark Morris, sales director at Baggeridge, said: “It was a pleasure to have Fernando work alongside us and the Specials area proved to be perfect for his needs. Everyone around him was fascinated with how he was able to create such huge, impressive sculptures, and his use of other waste materials proved to be of particular interest, as Baggeridge strives to recycle more and more waste material.”

The sculptures will be appearing at the Jerwood Sculpture Park display at Ragley Hall, a stately home in Warwickshire.