Red Stack, a bold new sculpture, lands on University of Birmingham campus
Red Stack, a large, bright and playful sculpture by Dubai artist Shaikha Al Mazrou, has arrived at its new home on the University of Birmingham campus.
Shaikha Al Mazrou's sculpture Red Stack has arrived at its new home on the University of Birmingham campus beside Old Joe. Photo credit Greg Milner Studio.
A bold and exciting new addition to the University's sculpture collection, Red Stack is a four-meter-high, bright red sculpture which resembles a large tower of pillows.
The striking artwork plays with shape, material, and colour and is made from fibreglass and resin. The curious nature of the art leaves its meaning open to audiences, with everyone seeing something different in it, inviting intrigue and debate from its viewers.
Red Stack is now on display on the Edgbaston campus next to the Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clocktower (Old Joe) on Chancellor’s Court and is free for everyone to see.
The sculpture has been acquired as a new piece of public art in celebration of the University of Birmingham’s 125th anniversary. Throughout this year, the University has put on a programme of public art, events, and community engagement, all designed to honour the University’s rich history and vibrant future.
We are looking forward to welcoming the public to come and see this latest addition to campus and hearing what people think about it.
Professor Adam Tickell, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, said: “As one of the UK’s first civic universities, it is important to us that our campus is a place where everyone can come and explore everything we have to offer, from research to art, both old and new. For 125 years, we have been a civic university, and we remain dedicated to making the University an inviting place for everyone in Birmingham. We are looking forward to welcoming the public to come and see this latest addition to campus and hearing what people think about it.”
Head of University Collections, Clare Mullet, oversaw the installation of the Red Stack sculpture.
Clare Mullett, Head of University Collections at the University of Birmingham, said: “We wanted something joyful and exciting to mark our 125th anniversary year, and this sculpture makes a playful reference to the University’s proud history as one of the UK’s first red brick universities in a bold and contemporary way.
“We are thrilled that Red Stack is part of our permanent sculpture collection. It will be a conversation starter, open to interpretation by everyone. This newest addition to campus is here to welcome new and returning staff, students, and visitors ready for the beginning of the academic year. We are delighted to welcome everyone to come and enjoy our public art on campus.”
This piece has always carried with it the energy of dialogue and encounter, inviting viewers to pause, reflect, and experience form in space. To know that it will now live within an academic setting where ideas, curiosity, and engagement are constantly in motion feels especially meaningful.
The artist, Shaikha Al Mazrou, is an Emirati sculptor known for her bold works that explore tension, balance, and materiality. She lives and works in Dubai, where the University of Birmingham has a campus. Her art often plays with shape and colour, making strong industrial materials appear soft. Her work invites people to look closer and think differently about what they see.
Shaikha Al Mazrou said: “I am truly thrilled that Red Stack, a work first unveiled as part of Frieze Sculpture in Regent’s Park, London, will now find its permanent home at the University of Birmingham. This piece has always carried with it the energy of dialogue and encounter, inviting viewers to pause, reflect, and experience form in space. To know that it will now live within an academic setting where ideas, curiosity, and engagement are constantly in motion feels especially meaningful. I look forward to Red Stack becoming part of the fabric of the university, sparking new ways of seeing and thinking for generations of students, faculty, and visitors alike.”
We are thrilled that Red Stack is part of our permanent sculpture collection. It will be a conversation starter, open to interpretation by everyone.
The sculpture was selected by a Public Art Advisory Board led by the University Collections team. This group includes academics, arts professionals, students, estates and campus planning experts. The decision was informed by a large-scale public consultation on campus and online.
The acquisition, along with events and activities celebrating the University’s 125th anniversary, was made possible by the generous support from alumni and supporters through the University of Birmingham’s endowment fund.
You can find more information about Red Stack on the University website, and find more ways to celebrate the University of Birmingham’s 125th anniversary.
Notes for editors
Notes for editors
- For media inquiries please contact Ellie Hail, Communications Officer, University of Birmingham on +44 (0)7966 311 409. Out-of-hours, please call +44 (0) 121 414 2772.
- Photography credit: The University of Birmingham and Greg Milner Studio
- Caption: Red Stack by Shaikha Al Mazrou on Chancellor’s Court at the University of Birmingham, Edgbaston campus.
- The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, educators and more than 40,000 students from over 150 countries.
- England’s first civic university, the University of Birmingham, is proud to be rooted in one of the most dynamic and diverse cities in the country. A member of the Russell Group and a founding member of the Universitas 21 global network of research universities, the University of Birmingham has been changing the way the world works for more than a century.
- The University of Birmingham is committed to achieving operational net zero carbon. It is seeking to change society and the environment positively, and use its research and education to make a major global contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Find out at birmingham.ac.uk/sustainability.
- University Collections contains over 10,000 objects and artworks housed across the
Edgbaston campus. Covering a breadth of disciplines across the arts and sciences, the
collections reflect a rich history of ideas, discovery, and creativity at the University of
Birmingham that inspires audiences on a local and global stage.