The University of Chicago Booth Business School has commissioned Luke Shepherd to create six bronze busts of renowned philanthropist David Booth.
Luke Shepherd The busts honour Booth for his outstanding generosity and support. Edition number 1 is in the new Chicago Booth Campus which was opened in the heart of London's Square Mile.
The University's Dean, Madhav Rajan, proudly unveiled the bronze portrait to over 400 guests.
Booth is a highly respected philanthropist and finance expert. His generous donations and guidance have significantly increased Chicago Booth's reputation as one of the world's most prominent business schools.
In recognition of David Booth's special relationship with Chicago Booth the eye-catching bronze is situated in one of the busiest areas of the University.
The bronze is surrounded by the extensive art collection curated by Felix and Katie Robyns.
The bronze proudly captures Booth's personality and the sculpture's majesty fits with the school's intellectual mission.
Shepherd and Booth connected over Zoom where they bridged the 4800-mile gap between Texas and the sculptor's studio. The artist focused on capturing the subject's personality both through conversation, video, and photographs.
It took two months of meticulous clay modelling with Booth giving the sculptor valuable feedback as the work progressed.
Preparatory drawing with scale and angle
At his ranch in Texas Booth has a significant sculpture collection with works by many famous artists including Picasso, Rodin, Koons, and Kapoor.
He plans to donate the entire collection together with his 62-acre ranch to the City of Austin in order to create a new sculpture museum.
“These are (among) the greatest names in the history of art. That‘s why it’s so significant,” said American businessman and art collector Michael “Mickey” Klein. “David has a great passion for art and has put together an extraordinary collection — one of the best in the world.
"I'm thrilled to discover we had a mutual appreciation for sculpture. This helped me gain further insight into the man behind beyond his financial persona," states Shepherd.
Randall Krozner Deputy Dean of the University said: “We are delighted to unveil this wonderful sculpture to recognize and honour David Booth's ongoing vision and commitment to the University".
Editions 2 and 3 are situated on the Chicago and Hong Kong campuses respectively.
