Aleta Doran: Residency Reflections

As my time as Chester Cathedral Artist in Residence draws to a close, I have found myself reflecting on the experience. I took on this role in January 2019 with the hope that I could encourage visitors to engage with the important nineteenth century mosaics to be found in the Nave, St Erasmus Chapel and on the High Altar. I had been a mosaicist for the past twenty years by that time, so I was well placed to explain the materials and techniques of this ancient artform. The first year of my residency passed so quickly and I was delighted to be offered another year starting in January 2020. Then the Pandemic happened…

I had to shield for a long time due to a respiratory condition - the thought of returning to Chester Cathedral kept me focussed through some challenging times. During my time in isolation, I co-curated the mosaic exhibition Constellations on behalf of the British Association for Modern Mosaics. I achieved this remotely through Zoom meetings and emails! Constellations finally opened in March 2022 in the Chapter House and Vestibule. It was a celebration of the living tradition of mosaic and included thirty new works by contemporary mosaicists – all inspired by Chester Cathedral. In the Vestibule we created the hanging installation Ethereal, a starry sky of mosaics created in bottle tops – four hundred tiny works of art sent from as far afield as Canada and Australia!

By the time Constellations opened, I had already spotted my next project. Having noticed the beautiful stained glass by Trena Cox in the Cloister and Slype of the Cathedral and discovered she lived and worked in Chester, I was certain there must be a story waiting to be told! So began the research journey I described in my last blog post.

The exhibition Trena Cox: Reflections 100 is one of the outcomes of that research. It tells the story of Trena Cox’s early commissions at Chester Cathedral, through interpretation panels, audio descriptions, film, an interactive touch screen, talks and artwork. The project has also resulted in vital conservation work being undertaken on Cox’s St Christopher window in the Slype by Recclesia Stained Glass. The window’s true beauty has been revealed by the professional removal of years of built up dust and cobwebs. The condition of the stained glass has been assessed and necessary interventions have taken place to stabilise its condition and ensure its future.

Recently, I have offered workshops encouraging families to draw for wellbeing - my creativity has sustained me throughout my life. During these workshops, each family member is given a pocket sized sketchbook to keep. Having made some drawings of flowers, shells and feathers during their time with me, I encourage them to continue drawing in their sketchbooks afterwards. Adults often tell me they haven’t drawn since they were children! For sketchbook inspiration, see my blog.

Another proud memory was bringing the ‘Hanging by a Thread’ - Mosaics for Afghan Women Project to Chester Cathedral in 2023. This colourful mosaic scarf was created to raise awareness of the plight of Afghan women and girls living under the authority of the Taliban. 

Being Artist in Residence at Chester Cathedral has been a real creative adventure – one I have enjoyed immensely and will miss very much. The Trena Cox Project will continue after my role at Chester Cathedral comes to an end. It will evolve through my research at the University of Chester and the forthcoming exhibition at the Grosvenor Museum. With other collaborations in the planning stages, the future of the project looks very bright!