Black dog sculpture designed by Adam Ant to be unveiled next week

A symbolic sculpture of a black dog will be unveiled in the Isle of Dogs next week as part of a campaign to raise awareness of depression.

The sculpture, in Island Gardens, was commissioned by mental health charity SANE, and sponsored by the author and psychotherapist Anna Albright and a group of her colleagues.

In recognition of their help, the artwork will be named ‘Doctor Dog’. It is one of three sculptures to be placed in different locations around East London.

The black dog design has been chosen because of it’s use as a metaphor for depression, having been popularised by Sir Winston Churchill when descrribing his gloomier moods.

Musician Adam Ant, who designed a coat with which to decorate the sculpture, has suffered from depression since the age of 21 and hopes the project will help raise awareness of mental health issues.

He said: “I am delighted to be involved in the Black Dog campaign which I feel is a fresh and exciting attempt to combat the stigma surrounding mental health.”