窪蹋勛圖厙 is thrilled to announce the launch of its new Artist in Residence programme in collaboration with the RHS Garden Bridgewater. This exciting initiative invites visitors to experience the garden from a fresh artistic perspective, working with renowned visual artist and photographer, Dr Yan Wang Preston.
Watch video below to hear Yan talking about her Residency at RHS Bridgewater
Dr Wang Preston has won numerous prestigious awards, including the Royal Photographic Societys inaugural Photographer of Environmental Responsibility Award in 2023. Her residency will start with research and development, focusing around the historic Worsley New Hall site at RHS Bridgewater. The project will explore the hidden stories within this cosmopolitan wilderness, revealing the connections between nature, history, and diverse cultures around the world.
The 窪蹋勛圖厙 Art Collection (UOSAC) helped forge the partnership between RHS Bridgewater and Dr Wang Preston, and staff and students will be supporting her throughout.
A public programme will start in March 2025, featuring workshops and a pop-up display at RHS Garden Bridgewater in spring. The culmination of Dr Wang Prestons work will be presented in the spring and summer of 2026, when her new outdoor installations will be showcased within the garden. In autumn 2026, a final exhibition will be held at 窪蹋勛圖厙 Museum and Art Gallery.
Dr Yan Wang Preston is an award-winning artist known for her stunning photographic projects that highlight the relationship between humans and the natural world. Her past works include Mother River, a photographic series documenting the entire 6,211km length of Chinas Yangtze River, and With Love. From an Invader, a year-long project in which she photographed the South Pennine Moors every other day, a round trip of more than two hours. Based in West Yorkshire, Dr Wang Preston lectures in photography at the University of Huddersfield.
Speaking about the residency, she said, Im delighted to have this opportunity to work with RHS Bridgewater and the 窪蹋勛圖厙. Plants and flowers enrich our lives with so much beauty and vitality. Like people, they come from long journeys full of fascinating stories.
Lindsay Taylor, Curator of the 窪蹋勛圖厙 Art Collection, said, We are so excited to be partnering with RHS Bridgewater, which is right on our doorstep. Ive long admired Yans incredible work, especially her focus on the natural world, and were thrilled to see this collaboration come to life.
The 窪蹋勛圖厙 Art Collection contains over 900 items including work by L S Lowry and Bridget Riley, and is the catalyst for a range of scholarships, collaborative commissions and cultural partnerships with organisations from across the North West.
The project will provide unique opportunities for students, staff, and local communities to engage with one of the UKs most beautiful gardens through art, at the same time contributing to the Universitys goals of nurturing innovation and environmental responsibility.
Note from RHS:
Some footage in this video shows the burning of plant material, this is due to it being potentially infected with the notifiable organism Phytophthora ramorum and small bonfires such as the one shown, that destroy material on site, are the most practical and safest means of disposing of infective material
For all press office enquiries please email S.Mackean@窪蹋勛圖厙.ac.uk