'UNEARTHED' RESIDENCY,
COOKHAM ABBEY 2026
This summer I was invited by 'The Friends of Cookham Abbey' to undertake a short artist residency at the University of Reading's excavation of Cookham Abbey, Berkshire. Alongside main 'Artist in Residence' Emma Przygrodzka and photographer Philippa Shire Oudekerk, I explored the landscape, materiality and memory of this fascinating middle Saxon/early medieval monastic site alongside the Thames. As a way of grounded myself in this new landscape, prior to visiting the excavation I walked along the river, exploring nearby prehistoric and Saxon barrows and medieval religious sites, thinking about how death and memorial persists in this landscape. This exploration was recorded in a large-scale collage; part walking map, part research document.
It was wonderful being back on an excavation, albeit without my trowel, seeing the layers being exposed; all the discoveries, stories and mysteries to be solved. The excavations are revealing that the early Christian monastery was a place of healing and hospice, as well as worship, contemplation and trade. Undertaking the residency the same week as my Dad's funeral, it is unsurprisingly that the cemetery trench became the focus of my thinking and making. Sitting, observing and drawing amongst the graves of the monastic cemetery was a poignant experience and it was beautiful to see the quiet gestures of care evidenced in the wrapping and placing of remains, mirrored in the respectful revealing and recording by the archaeologists. Not being allowed to take photographs of the graves also pushed me to record the experience in new ways.
My creative practise is immersed in the layers and traces that are visible in the historic landscape and architectural heritage. The residency provided a wonderful opportunity to explore the relationships between the archaeological literature and archive, alongside the experiential and visual records of the monastic excavation, the adjacent medieval church and the surrounding landscape. Using layered archive material, photography, and sketches, I developed an understanding the site through the lens of the a wider sense of time and place.
During my time at the excavation I thought about the wrapping of bodies, relics and parchments and was inspired by finds from the site, in particular a folded and pierced lead sheet bearing a runic healing cure and a folded coin. The act of folding and piercing objects to 'hold in' or dedicate a prayer, an offering or a cure is compelling both artistically and archaeologically. I experimented with printing and folded porcelain sheets and piercing them with iron nails from the discard pile next to the finds hut. A collection of material from non-archaeological contexts of the excavation, not forming part of the site's narrative, but becoming part of my creative exploration. Each piece representing a binding of memory and intention into material and place; a shroud, a prayer, a charm. These 'enfoldings' made onsite, were joined by others created in the studio. These contorted clay sheets were decorated with reimagining's of the cemetery layout, the deciphering of meaning and human stories from excavation plans mirroring the interpretation of runes, texts and ritual acts.
The artworks produced by myself, Emma Przgrodzka, Philippa Shire Oudekerk were exhibited in UNEARTHED, at the Parish Centre, Cookham, on September 12-13th 2026, as part of The Cookham and Maidenhead Arts Trail. It was a wonderful experience seeing all of our work together in one cohesive exhibition and speaking to so many people about the excavation and our art. Thank you again to The Friends of Cookham Abbey for the opportunity.
