Meet Luke Jerram, the artist who created a global movement with 2,000 street pianos

How an artist can make a difference to the world? As you know, we are passionate about the enormous transformational power of creativity and design, and today we want to tell a story about an amazing artist who makes an incredible impact with his work.

Meet Luke Jerram – an artist behind Museum of the Moon, Floating Earth and Play Me I'm Yours. Luke helps people experience the "overview effect" through his planetary installations and also supports creative education of children and young people, whilst empowering international developing nations.

Here are Luke's 4 works that inspired us the most:

The Museum of The Moon

For the Museum of the Moon, Luke created a seven-metre diameter sphere that's an exact replica of the moon's surface. The installation has travelled worldwide since 2016, appearing in cathedrals, concert halls, and outdoor spaces.

Luke created this piece to give people an intimate encounter with the moon - something we see daily but rarely contemplate deeply. The work invites reflection on our place in the universe.

The Power of Light

Luke explores how public art can democratise access to wonder and beauty, bringing art directly to people rather than placing it in galleries.

Luke, together with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and their ARISE programme in Sierra Leone, installed 21 solar-powered LED streetlights within the town.

In some areas of the city, homes have no running water and lighting is poor, making it dangerous to navigate at night, with dangerous, poorly lit pathways and open drains. The project had immediate practical impacts - collecting water at night became safer with the new lighting, and it made streets safer for everyone at night.

Play Me, I'm Yours

Luke and his team installed 2,000 street pianos in over 70 cities across the globe, from Tokyo to New York, bearing the simple instruction 'Play Me, I'm Yours'. The pianos were decorated by local artists and community groups.

In this project, Luke invited the public to engage with and activate the urban environment, to share their love of music and the visual arts. Pianos are available to everyone in public locations — streets, public parks, markets and train stations.

Community Resource Center in Bangladesh​

The restoration includes a complete overhaul of the space, with a new roof, electrics and the creation of murals by local artists. The team have also planted flowers, fruit and vegetables for the centre, with many of the potted plants being given away to local people to take home and grow. The resulting crops provide an additional income stream for local people.

The project not only restored vital community infrastructure but also engaged local artists and provided income opportunities through the gardening initiative.

Do you think we should highlight another artist making the world better? Send us a message.