RHS Garden Bridgewater is thrilled to announce the launch of its new Artist in Residence programme, in collaboration with the University of Salford Art Collection. 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.
Yan Wang Preston will begin her residency with research and development, focusing on the historic Worsley New Hall site, an area of the garden that is currently largely off-limits to the public.
Daniel Atherton, RHS Regional Interpretation Coordinator explains, “This part of the garden holds a fascinating history, shaped by the estate’s rich past, from its industrial roots to its horticultural rebirth. The project will explore the hidden stories within this ‘cosmopolitan wilderness’, revealing the connections between nature, history, and diverse cultures around the world.”
This will be followed by a public programme starting in March 2025, featuring workshops and a pop-up display at RHS Garden Bridgewater. The culmination of her 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 Salford Museum and Art Gallery.
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 China’s Yangtze River, and With Love. From an Invader., a year-long project in which she photographed the same rhododendron bush on the South Pennine Moors every other day.
Speaking about the residency, she said, “I’m delighted to have this opportunity to work with RHS Bridgewater. Plants and flowers enrich our lives with so much beauty and vitality. Like people, they come from long journeys full of fascinating stories.”
Based in West Yorkshire, Yan Wang Preston is also a passionate gardener with a particular fondness for peonies, rhododendrons, and water lilies. She is a lecturer in photography at the University of Huddersfield and has won numerous prestigious awards, including the Royal Photographic Society’s inaugural Photographer of Environmental Responsibility Award in 2023.
The Artist in Residence programme is part of the University of Salford’s wider commitment to promoting creativity, sustainability and healthy living. The project will provide unique opportunities for students, staff, and local communities to engage with the garden’s heritage through art, while also contributing to the University’s long-term goals of nurturing innovation and environmental responsibility.
Lindsay Taylor, Curator of the University of Salford Art Collection, said, “We are so excited to be partnering with RHS Bridgewater, which is right on our doorstep. I’ve long admired Yan’s incredible work, especially her focus on the natural world, and we’re thrilled to see this collaboration come to life.”
The Artist in Residence programme is set to inspire a deeper connection between the public, the garden, and the art it can inspire, offering a unique and creative way to experience one of the UK’s most beautiful gardens.
For more information about the RHS Garden Bridgewater Artist in Residence programme and upcoming events, visit rhs.org.uk/gardens/bridgewater/artist-in-residence.
