Award-winning photographer set to be the first resident artist at RHS Bridgewater

An award-winning photographer is set to be the first resident artist at RHS Bridgewater.

The new artist-in-residence Dr Yan Wang Preston will be showcasing her work in collaboration with the University of Salford art collection.

Dr Yan Wang Preston’s residency will begin with research and development, focusing on the historic Worsley New Hall site at RHS Bridgewater.

The project will explore hidden stories within the ‘cosmopolitan wilderness’ while capturing the beauty of the gardens. 

Dr Wang Preston has won multiple prestigious awards for her photography, including the Royal Photographic Society’s inaugural photographer of environmental responsibility award in 2023.  

The public programme will commence in March 2025, with workshops and a pop-up display at RHS Garden Bridgewater in Spring.

The final work is to be showcased in the spring and summer of 2026 with outdoor installations followed by a final exhibition at Salford Museum and Art Gallery in the Autumn.

Dr Wang Preston said: “I’m delighted to have this opportunity to work with RHS Bridgewater and The University of Salford.

“Plants and flowers enrich our lives with so much beauty and vitality. Like people, they come from long journeys full of fascinating stories.”

The project will provide unique opportunities for communities, staff and students to engage with one of the UK’s most beautiful gardens through art, at the same time contributing to the University’s goals of nurturing innovation and environmental responsibility.

Dr Wang Preston’s previous work includes ‘Mother River’, a collection of photographs taken in 100-kilometre intervals of the 6,200km Yangtze River, in China, and ‘From an invader’, a yearlong project in which she photographed the South Pennine moors every other day, a two-hour round trip for the artist.  

Lindsay Taylor, curator of the University of Salford art collection, said: “We are so excited to be partnering with RHS Bridgewater.

“I’ve long admired Yan’s incredible work… and were thrilled to see this collaboration come to life.” 

For more information about the RHS Garden Bridgewater Artist in Residence programme and upcoming events, visit here