The John Richardson French Residency Award

2024

As one of the very happy recipients of the John Richardson French Residency Award in 2024, I relished in the amazing opportunity to spend two weeks in the beautiful village of Dampierre Sur Boutonne, Charente-Maritime, France together with five other artists with one sole purpose – to make art.

This award felt different from the beginning – like something very special was going to emerge through the time together and in response to the location and environment. The entire process of the award was managed professionally by the Director of Hambly & Hambly, Ciara Hambly. Her leadership and vision have created a significant opportunity for artists in both the UK and internationally. The entire process, from initial application to the finalist’s exhibition, and onto the residency itself, was easy to navigate and exciting to be part of.

The residency has had a significant impact on my work. I entered the residency with the intention to explore different processes and look for ‘discovery’. Yet, after a visit to the nearby seaside city of La Rochelle, I experienced a deep connection to the sense of the human stories that have been played out through history and time in this place. The bleached stone walls and turrets, the arches and cobbled pathways, each a backdrop to the unwritten tales of love and loss, hope and desire.

These references began to emerge in my work. In particular, the use of multiple sheets of paper to construct one larger support, reminiscent of the stacked stone of the local architecture. Watercolour washes and the building up of texture and patina became the surface upon which the figure was superimposed, the point of connection between history and the present. The work that emerged felt very much of this place within the visual language of the pieces and the concepts that were being explored.

This direction was unexpected and heralded something completely new, creating a new momentum and trajectory to my practice. I intend to continue exploring this thread, including the multiple-panel supports, and to push deeper into expressing how the human story is revealed. There will be further refinement and resolution in anticipation of the creation of a new body of work which, I hope dearly, will be re-presented to an international European audience.

My time on the John Richardson French Residency has been deeply rewarding on many levels. The community of award-winning artists who were inspiring and encouraging, the location and environment which was stimulating, the local villagers who were involved and supportive, and the excellent initiative led by Hambly & Hambly, all contributed to a lifechanging experience and significant career development.