Chemical X's ecstasy artwork features mystery model who bears striking resemblance to Cara Delevingne

A million-pound work of art which appears to show Cara Delevingne surrounded by ecstasy tablets will go on display in London later this month.

The artist, Chemical X, has refused to confirm the identity of the model who posed for it. The figure bears a close resemblance to Delevingne, 25, down to the tattoos on her hands and feet.

Chemical X, whose real identity is unknown, makes works out of ecstasy pills manufactured in a private laboratory. His last show in London in 2013, with a purported £175,000-worth of pills incorporated into sculptures and panels, was cancelled after legal advice.

The new work, The Spirit Of Ecstasy, is valued at £1 million and the model appears to be suspended in a sea of pills. The muse is not named but is described in the artist’s press release as a “British model and actress who is a fan of Chemical X’s and already collects his work”.

The model’s likeness has been made out of silicone and fibreglass from a scan of her body and made in collaboration with digital artist Schoony. The hands and feet were cast from real life and the eyebrows inserted strand by strand.

It incorporates more than 7,000 pills and will be displayed at CX300 — a one-night show with 300 hand-picked guests from the world of film and music. Guests will only be told the venue on the day.

Chemical X said: “My work is about potential suspended in an everlasting moment, allowing the viewer to see what has been, what is and what could be — all in the same instant.”

A percentage of the sale price of The Spirit Of Ecstasy will be donated to The Loop, a charity whose volunteers attend clubs and festivals and advise on drugs safety. A representative of Delevingne was contacted for comment.