A BRICKLAYER with an artistic trowel will see his first sculpture go on show this weekend.

Joe Taylor’s Twisted Shard will be unveiled by Radio Solent presenter Nick Girdler at Bursledon Brickworks on Sunday (July19).

The 32-year-old was commissioned to produce the artwork by the brickworks’ management after they saw an article in the Daily Echo about Joe’s Buddha design wall which was shortlisted for a National Guild of Bricklayers award.

Joe teaches bricklaying at City College Southampton and enlisted some of his students to help him with the project which will take pride of place in the courtyard of the museum.

Visually impaired adults from Open Sight, adults from Family Mosaic, and children from Kings Copse Unit for the visually impaired also fired their own multi-sensory bricks, recognisable by shapes and words imprinted into them, which have been integrated into the design.

Michelmersh Brick Holdings worked in partnership with Joe Taylor and the museum, offering 1,000 bricks, raw clay to fire the special bricks from its factory near Romsey and a donation to cover other material costs.

Joe, from Woolston, said he is keen to produce more public artworks and would love to create a sculpture for a park or new development in the city.

The unveiling of the shard, at 2pm, takes place during an all-day music festival at the brickworks which features St Andrew's Pipe Band, Big Noise Samba, Stoke Bay Strummers, Too Old to Dance and West Hill School Choir.