A RENOWNED sculptor who also specialises in painting, performance and poetry has won a top award.

Oxford-based Prof Brian Catling has been elected as a Royal Academician in the category of sculpture by the Royal Academy of Arts.

Prof Catling is a multi-media artist who is professor of fine art at the Ruskin School of Art at Oxford University and a Fellow at Linacre College in Oxford.

He studied at East London Polytechnic followed by the Royal College of Art.

A statement on Linacre College's website said: "Congratulations to Prof Brian Catling, Fellow of Linacre College, who has been elected as a Royal Academician."

One of the professor's best known works is a monument commissioned in 2006 by Historic Royal Palaces at the site of execution at the Tower of London.

It provides a focal point for contemplation, reflection and remembrance.

The professor was last year awarded the Cholmondeley Award for Poets by the Society of Authors, and received the Award for Artists from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation in 2001.

Prof Catling's solo exhibitions include Quill Three, Raven Row, London (2015), Quill Two, Matt’s Gallery at Dilston Grove, London (2011), Brian Catling & the head of Bobby Awl, Ingleby Gallery, Edinburgh (2008), and Brian Catling: The Cyclops, South London Gallery (1996).

The Royal Academy of Arts, founded by King George III in 1768, is an independent, privately-funded institution led by eminent artists and architects to provide a strong voice for art and artists.

Its public programme promotes the creation, enjoyment and appreciation of visual arts through exhibitions, education and debate.