Ashes of eight people made into pottery for art exhibition about death at the Sainsbury Centre

• Watch Natalie Gray's report from the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich

The ashes of eight people from Norwich have been made into funeral jars as part of an unusual art show about death.

Potter Julian Stair hopes his exhibition at the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich will get people talking about a subject considered taboo.

The artist's mother died during the pandemic and his son died during childbirth in 1990.

"Death in our culture has become a taboo which for me is the wrong emphasis," said Mr Stair.

"Instead of death being something morbid and fearful that we run away from because we are not so good at coming to terms with it now, I think death should be a celebration of life.

"If we're not fearful of something that is inevitable, I think we would have a much happier life."

There are around 30 works by Mr Stair in a new exhibition at the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich.

The works include cinerary or funeral jars with the ashes of eight local people incorporated into the clay.

One of the jars is made using the ashes of Pamela Baird from Norwich who died in May 2021.

Pamela's daughter Jane Black could not go to her mum's memorial service because of covid restrictions.

"I've been surprised how much it has helped," said Ms Black. "Having the urn with her in it and part of it is just magical really.

"My mother would have loved it. She would have been in her element to be here."

The cinerary jars will be donated to the families following the exhibition which lasts for six months.

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