BUILDING sites and artwork do not often go hand in hand.

But as Oxford University’s new Blavatnik School of Government building takes shape on the site of the old Radcliffe Infirmary, people have a chance to see up to 70 pieces of art created by Dr Weimin He.

The Radcliffe Observatory Quarter’s artist in residence is displaying his work on the hoardings which surround the building site in Walton Street until shortly before it opens in September next year.

He said: “The project uses the form of art to reflect on the transformation of the Radcliffe Infirmary. It uses art to represent that in the history of Oxford University no area as big as this has been transformed like this.

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“I started the works from line drawings in black and white and then developed into painting.

“I also produced a woodcut. The work is a mixture of Eastern and Western art styles.”

The Chinese-born artist completed a PhD in fine art at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland and was previously artist in residence at Queen’s University Belfast.

He said: “I have done between 60 and 70 artworks for this. Some are just one panel and some are several panels.”

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