Artist Dan Barton is the man behind a new art installation to support Ukraine which has officially launched in Oxford. 

The installation, which stands 12 foot in height, depicts a soldier leading a mother and her two children to safety.

The solider can be seen helping a mother and her two children, who are carrying their worldly possessions along with them.

One child is holding a toy rabbit.

At the opening ceremony around 20 people held up Ukrainian flags in front the installation, before simultaneously lifting them up to reveal the artwork.

The work has been created by the Monumental Solidarity Project - the latest initiative from Standing with Giants, a not-for-profit organisation set up by Mr Barton which uses his epic installations in public spaces to raise money for various charities.

Visitors can walk freely among the installations which are designed to not only to look and feel impressively large, but as a “safe space where people can come and reflect, to grieve, to discuss with children, to connect, to reset, and to look forward”, he said.

Mr Barton, whose workshop is in Stanton Harcourt, said: “We have had messages from people in Ukraine thanking us for not forgetting them. And we plan to send 255 – the Falklands installation – to the Falkland Islands for the 40th anniversary of the war on June 14."

In 2020 the community project simultaneously displayed 103 soldiers and 77 poppy wreaths at Blenheim Palace and 8,000 miles away in the Falkland Islands.

The remembrance tribute at Blenheim Palace helped raise more than £38,000 for the Royal British Legion.

In August 2021 Mr Barton created an installation, located in Oxford's South Park, to celebrate the work frontline NHS staff were doing throughout the pandemic which raised money for NHS charities.

Right now he is creating 2,000 soldiers for the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

“When I was 12 years old in Bristol I used to rush home from school to watch the Falklands unfold. I never thought I’d be again waking up to such terrible news, that Russia had invaded Ukraine. I thought, what can we do to help them,” said Mr Barton of his latest installation.

The figures are all individually created by Mr Barton, whose day job is restoring historic buildings, and a team of volunteers using repurposed materials.

Each figure is cut out by hand, sanded and painted, before being attached to hand welded metal frames which are then staked into the ground.

He said: “I am the driving force and I have 14 regular people and I always manage to collect people to help with the installation wherever it is being hosted.”

Volunteers have included air cadets, schools, Scouts, Cubs and prisoners from Bullingdon Prison and Mr Barton is keen to hear from any groups that would like to get involved.