AN artist who makes chewing gum and tea bag sculptures is taking the art world by storm.

Ally Rosenberg, of Park Road, Prestwich, is about to start on a fine art degree course at the prestigious St Martin’s College in London.

After two years of study in the sixth-form at King David High School, the 18-year-old achieved an A in art, an A in English and a B in biology.

Ally’s top grade in art owed much to an off-beat project last September, when he challenged 50 friends to chew 1,000 bits of gum in two weeks.

He then created a gum sculpture of an elderly woman he had met on a street in Manchester a few weeks earlier.

Ally said: “She was a charismatic old woman who had long ginger hair. She also had no teeth, so it was fitting that I should make the artwork out of gum.”

Ally also salvaged hundreds of used teabags from the college staff room and used them to create a sculpture of an old man, complete with a used winter hat on his head.

Ally has applied to display his chewing gum woman and tea bag man in an online exhibition for the Jewish National Fund. And a TV celebrity has been impressed with his work.

Comedian Matt Lucas recently allowed Ally to take photos of him so Ally can gain inspiration to make a sculpture of the Little Britain star.

Ally added: “I am really looking forward to starting at university. London is a massive centre for art and the college’s reputation goes before it.

“To have the backing of people like Matt Lucas is brilliant.”