Luke Jerram’s Viral Sculptures displays glass sculpture and photographic works of some of the world’s most deadly viruses and bacteria. Between 22nd September and 3rd October The Smithfield Gallery presents for the first time an entire body of work created by Jerram over the past five years to contemplate the global impact and history of disease.

Jerram has intricately rendered some of the most deadly diseases – including Smallpox, HIV, E-Coli, H1N1 (Swine Flu) and SARS – into translucent glass works that interrogate our perceptions of their manifestation. In consultation with leading virologist Dr Andrew Davidson from the University of Bristol, Jerram has been exploring the edges of scientific understanding and visualisation, combining different scientific photographs, diagrams and models to create sculptural representations of viruses and bacteria. Jerram has also been pushing against the boundaries of glassblowing techniques to create the artworks.