World-renowned 3D pavement artist comes to Leicester

A world renowned 3D pavement artist will be creating one of his masterpieces in Leicester city centre next week to help celebrate the Olympics.

Julian Beever, originally from Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, is preparing to unveil his latest dimension-defying skills at The Clock Tower.

The street artist, widely known as the 'Pavement Picasso', will begin a new 3D chalk drawing on Tuesday (June 26).

It will take four days to complete and members of the public will be able to watch the artist at work between 9am and 5pm each day. Julian will put the finishing touches to the masterpiece on Friday (June 29), when the drawing will be unveiled.

The amazing optical illusion picture will feature an Olympic Torchbearer and will mark the start of the London 2012 Games and celebrate the Olympic Torch passing through the city.

Julian usually completes his drawings directly onto pavements but Leicester City Council, which commissioned the work, is supplying the artist with a special plinth inlaid with slabs.

The idea is that the final piece can be covered in a protective coating and moved to Abbey Park, where the artwork will become a permanent feature and lasting legacy. It will be transported and put in place at the park for the Olympic evening event on Monday 2 July.

A video of the artwork in the making will be shown at the Big Screen, in Humberstone Gate, at regular intervals during the Olympics and put on the council's website.

Assistant City Mayor, Cllr Piara Singh Clair, said: "This is an honour for the city. Julian Beever is world-renowned and we are very lucky to have him create a special piece to help celebrate the Torch arriving in Leicester.

"It is fantastic that we will be preserving this work and creating a lasting legacy at Abbey Park. I am sure lots of people will be excited to see Julian at work in the lead up to the arrival of the Torch."

For further details of Julian Beever and his work, visit: www.julianbeever.net