Steel sculptor celebrates galvanising partnership

A Midlands, UK, galvanising company is celebrating 15 years work with artist Luke Perry, of Industrial Heritage Stronghold.

Luke Perry’s work has featured across the region.

Wednesfield-based Edward Howell Galvanizers Ltd, part of Wedge Group Galvanizing Ltd, started working with Perry in 2010 when he called upon their galvanizing expertise to help protect a collection of 35 sculptures installed along Dudley No 2 Canal.

Commissioned to highlight the waterway’s role in the creation of the Black Country, there was a large amount of metalwork involved in creating the artwork, thus ensuring durability and weatherproofing was part of the creation process.

Since, Edward Howell Galvanizers has applied its molten zinc protective treatment to a vast collection of sculptures by Perry, helping to protect them from rust and corrosion.

The protective finish has been used on his iconic Sikh memorial in Wednesfield commemorating the Battle of Saragarhi, a series of four pieces installed in the Chapel Ash underpass in Wolverhampton, and a collection of historic sculptures situated in Colne Valley Regional Park among others.

Perry says, ‘The sheer amount of work and passion that is poured into my pieces means it’s imperative that I can trust the people who work on them.

'I’m hugely grateful to the team at Edward Howells Galvanizing, who are always so careful and are genuinely interested and respectful of each piece’s significance to our local communities. Galvanizing provides fantastic long-term protection from the elements to my sculptures, ensuring they can be enjoyed by many for years to come.’