Human ashes used in art project

Ms Fenelon used Mr Wilkinson's parents ashes in her work

Five ceramic trees glazed with the ashes of volunteers' dead parents are to go on show in an art exhibition.

Student Emma Fenelon advertised on the internet for people to donate their loved ones' remains for the project.

The 50-year-old from West Norwood, south London, was prompted to experiment with various types of ash after a history lesson on ceramics.

Her artwork will be displayed in Camberwell College of Arts, south London as part of a degree show.

Ms Fenelon received a number of offers and finally accepted donations from two people who arrived with their parents' remains in urns.

Sprinkling white powder

Bus driver Michael Wilkinson, 58, turned up with the ashes of his mother Lily May Violet and father John who died in 1993 and 1996.

"He said he thought his mum would have been thrilled about it and his dad would have come around," Ms Fenelon said.

Felicity Collins, 62, also offered her art-loving mother Kathleen's ashes because she had run out of ideas where to sprinkle them.

She explained that she had begun sprinkling bits in places she used to visit in London "didn't realise what a lot of ash you get when someone is cremated".

She also said that after the terrorist attacks in New York in 2001 it "wasn't a good idea to be sprinkling white powder around in public".

Ms Fenelon said originally she used her divorce papers to make a fine glaze.

"We were talking about it and it came out and I said: 'Can you use human ash?'", she said.