When Eve Sheperd left school without any qualifications her parents were told her prospects for employment were not good. However Eve, who lives in Woodingdean, had an ambition to be a sculptor and her drive and determination led her to getting training and qualifications. She then went on to achieve international acclaim and has now gained recognition from the pinnacle of the educational establishment – Cambridge University.

Eve (35) who lives in Downland Rd and has a studio in Hove, has been commissioned by the University to build a statue of the disabled physicist Professor Stephen Hawkings. She has spent some time over the last two years with the famous scientist who has Motor-Neurone Disease. “I wanted to get alongside him and see how I should depict him in the statue” she said. “The main thing I want to show is his weakness of body and his strength of mind” she went on.

Eve has been opening her home to the public as part of the Open Houses programme in the Brighton festival has given visitors a chance to look at some of her work including her beautiful piece “Faith” which was exhibited in Winchester cathedral earlier this year and received much positive press. It was also exhibited in the local Parish Church of the Holy Cross in Woodingdean and in June and July it will go on show in Guildford Cathedral.