An artist is appealing for help in saving a sculpture she made of a giant brain.  

The enormous artwork, which is currently next to the Alliance Club, in Summers Lane, Finchley, now risks being tossed into a skip and destroyed unless a volunteer comes forward to save it.

The artist, known only as Lady M, and lives in Cockfosters, designed the 12ft by 10ft polystyrene monument as part of an exhibition for a central London gallery.

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When it was over, she was determined her handiwork would not go to waste so when bar staff agreed to house it in the woods next to the club, it was a no-brainer.

But unbeknown to her, the bar was actually operating illegally and a group of people eventually set up camp inside the brain.

When Barnet Borough Council discovered the skulduggery, they put a stop to it by closing the bar and evicting the squatters.

But after nobody came forward to claim the brain, the authority was forced to surround it with fences and install CCTV cameras in the area.

She has been given until Friday to find a suitable home for her creation, otherwise it will be destroyed.

The 50-year-old said: “At the moment it is caged and has been left to rot. It seems ridiculous. I had no idea it wasn’t a licensed bar otherwise I’d have never donated it to them.

“I am really devastated by this. Even though it doesn’t belong to me anymore, it has a lot of merit and I am upset the people I gave it to abandoned my brain in this way.

“I am honoured the council think my work was good enough to be kept it safe, but unfortunately, I don’t have the space to keep it inside my home or garden.”

The sculpture was created to house a range of different smells.

She spent one year twirling polystyrene sticks to design the outside, whilst the inside has been well-insulated with foam and carpet.

Lady M believes a special needs or children’s charity could make use of the enormous artwork, as it is completely sound proof.

She added: “I’m sure someone can make use of it as a chill-out spot, or to give children with special needs a place to wind down and relax.

“But it’s so big and needs to be lifted in three parts, so logistically I know it will be difficult. I doubt I’ll be able to find someone to take it off my hands in time but I can only hope.

“I would just hate to see all of my hard work go to waste. It would just be such a shame to all my hard work go down the drain.”

Do you want the big brain? Call reporter Anna Slater on 07795 223 610.

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