THE world’s first soft pastels created by a Glasgow-based artist from a new type of alloy made from destroyed illegal firearms have gone on show in Stockholm.

Frank To created the metal – Humanium – and used it for the first time in his work to address the growing pandemic of gun violence in Sweden.

His exhibition, called Armed Art, is now on show at the Fotografiska Museum in the country’s capital.

The artist was born in Falkirk in 1982, graduated from the University of Huddersfield with a BA (Hons) Fine Art and went on to gain a Master of Fine Art from Duncan of Jordanstone Art College, in Dundee. To’s works have proved popular and are featured in collections at the universities of Dundee, Highlands and Islands, Cambridge and Huddersfield, as well as at Walter Scott and Partners, Deloitte, Perth Museum and Art Gallery and Minecraft.

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His most famous collector is Sir Patrick Stewart, the star of films such as Star Trek Next Generation, X-Men and Picard.

“It’s very important that as an activist against illegal gun violence, I try to do my part in tackling this man-made pandemic,” said To.

“By physically being involved in the actual process of transforming an item that was used to kill people into something that could be used to address and hopefully give a voice in the campaign against illegal gun violence then I know that I’ve done my duty as a decent human being.

“I am very honoured to have my Humanium Metal pastels to make their first international debut at the Fotografiska Museum where they were used by community and internationally recognised artists as well as supported by members of the Swedish Government in the Armed Art event.

“As I’m a Scottish artist, it is crucial that I represent Scotland’s shared view on addressing and being pro-active on the destruction of unlawful weapons especially guns I only hope that these gun pastels are the first steps to a world without illegal firearms.”