The long awaited new sculpture for Preston Park was unveiled yesterday. Artist Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva’s vision of the ‘Gilded Elm’ has saved the diseased 400 year old elm tree trunk from being incinerated and transformed it into a magnificent piece of art. Paul Campbell from CityParks praised Elpida’s tenacity and drive, spending two years stripping the bark and lovingly restoring the trunk. The imposing sculpture, painted in gold leaf inside and tinted black outside, can be seen in the Coronation Garden opposite its ‘twin’, thought to be the oldest elm in the world.
Brighton and Hove is home to the National Elm Collection, the only one in the country along with Edinburgh in Scotland.
