Hughie O’Donoghue RA and Grace Ayson, Damson Tree window (2018), Canterbury Cathedral.

Photo: The Chapter, Canterbury Cathedral

Hughie O’Donoghue RA and Grace Ayson, detail of the Damson Tree window (2018), Canterbury Cathedral.

Photo: Léonie Seliger

Canterbury Cathedral, Kent

Address

Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Christ, The Precincts, Canterbury CT1 2EH

Theme

Anglican Cathedrals in England (43)

Comments by

Peter Hildebrand

Overview

With over 1,200 meters of stained glass from the 12th to the 21st centuries, Canterbury is a jewel in the crown of British stained glass.

Léonie Seliger, who as Director of the Cathedral Studio, is responsible for the conservation of the stained glass windows of Canterbury Cathedral, has produced a PDF of some personal favourites, including examples from the 12th, 13th and 15th centuries as well as more recent work from the 1950s.

Highlight

The Damson Tree window in the northern walkway of the cloister

Artist, maker and date

Reason for highlighting

When enjoying Britain’s stained glass heritage, it is easy to forget that when installed, almost all windows were contemporary works of art. It is vital to keep that heritage alive by continuing to invest in new works. Fine artists who do not normally work in the medium of glass, can add an extra perspective and enlarge or challenge our experience of the art-form. What makes this window so successful is the way Grace Ayson has worked with Hughie O’Donoghue to capture the essence of his original painting in glass.

Artist/maker notes

Hughie O’Donoghue RA (b. 1953) was born in Manchester, England but much of his work is influenced by time spent in his mother’s place of origin, the remote Barony of Erris in Co Mayo, Ireland. His paintings explore themes of universal human experience, often on an epic scale, they meditate on ideas of truth and the relationship between memory and identity, drawing on history and personal records to create works which resonate with emotional intensity.

Source: Royal Academy – Artists – Hughie O’Donoghue

Grace Ayson developed her extensive knowledge of traditional and modern techniques and materials gained from fifteen years’ experience as a stained glass conservator at the highly regarded Cathedral Studios, at Canterbury Cathedral. She now has her own studio in Ramsgate, where she combines striking modern draughtsmanship with traditional craft and technique.

Source: Grace Ayson – Art & Glass Studio

Highlighted dates at this location

2018 (Go to date search)