HIS sculptures may start life as pieces of driftwood but they have ended up in some of Britain’s most impressive cathedrals.

Now Peter Eugene Ball can count Christ Church among them, as he prepares to close his latest exhibition in Oxford.

The 73-year-old has been displaying his ‘Madonnas and Mad Hatters’ collection, the culmination of two years’ work.

His sculptures are made from mostly wooden objects he has found on ocean shores or junk shops and are covered in metal, a technique he has developed since the late 1950s.

The pieces vary from ones depicting characters from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, in real life Christ Church maths don Charles Dodgson, to others inspired by religion.

Mr Ball, who lives in Nottinghamshire, said: “I am influenced by church architecture but am not a Christian, so it’s a mix of secular and religious.”

The grandfather-of-two has made a special sculpture of St Frideswide, Oxford’s patron saint.

The sculpture was inspired by statues and stained-glass window depictions of her.

He added: “I made the St Frideswide piece out of an Australian railway sleeper that I found in a wood yard.

“Because of the texture, I thought it would make a good figure and wanted to make it St Frideswide specially for this exhibition.

“There is an illustration and I took it from that... and the shrine of St Frideswide in Christ Church.

“They don’t have a full figure of her here so I thought I’d make one, which was probably a bit of a cheek.

“All the sculptures mean different things to me and all the designs emanate from the wood itself, from the shape.

“I am attracted to certain things, usually objects with an otherworldly quality.

“I try to make them Romanesque, and I use elements of modern stuff as well. I like a lot of modern artists like Picasso.”

Mr Ball’s career has spanned more than 50 years and he has created some 70 major works for churches – including Winchester and Birmingham cathedrals – throughout Britain.

It is believed this figure is more than any other living artist.

The Rev Martin Gorick, the Archdeacon of Oxford, said: “If you go to many churches, you will find amazing pieces by Peter. They are not just there as works of art but as windows into the sacred, into God. They allow people to find a connection with the divine.

“It is a very special chance to have the exhibition here at Christ Church.”

Mr Ball has agreed to give 10 per cent of the money made from selling the sculptures to the cathedral.

Admission to the exhibition, which closes tomorrow, is free.