Published on 09 February 2016
Sophia Pearson is to become part of history in a church where seven Anglo-Saxon kings were crowned more than 1,000 years ago – and is considered the site where England began.
The MA Illustration and Design student has won a national competition run by the ‘Where England Began’ heritage project, as part of the restoration of All Saints Church in Kingston-upon-Thames.
The church is thought to have been the coronation site of seven Anglo-Saxon kings in the 10th century, and the restoration project incorporates the history of the site.
The competition brief was to design panels illustrating the kings’ lives, to be converted to embroidery or tapestry and displayed on seven arched panel spaces in the church, to be enjoyed for generations to come.
Reverend Jonathan Wilkes, Rector at All Saints, said: "Sophia showed a sensitive flare for interpreting the various stories that the seven kings represent, and for presenting them in a way that will blend well with this magnificent historic building.
"The project to set in embroidery or tapestry the interpretive images that Sophia has designed is part of that heritage interpretation work. We hope it will have an element of community involvement in the production and it is our great hope that they will be a striking element making for a crowning glory to what has already been an extremely well received redevelopment."
The challenge was to interpret the historical information – or lack of it – into a set of designs which would complement the setting of the church architecture. Entrants had to design one panel in full and provide outline sketches of their ideas for the other six panels.
Sophia, 22, from Sunderland, drew on her passion for art and design, as well as her History degree from the University of Cambridge, to create a striking design of Ethelred the Unready, which caught the judges’ eye.
She said: "I was thrilled to have won this competition, and it’s going to be really exciting to see the designs translated into a piece of textile art which will be on permanent display. I wonder what Ethelred would have made of it all though!"
"I particularly enjoyed the research element; I found a lot of interesting historical details that I wanted to include, but also there are gaps in the history.
"The only way to resolve these gaps within an illustration is through imagination, which I found exciting. I went into a lot of depth, analysing medieval chronicles to find out important details and overall themes. Then it was a case of distilling the information to convey each king’s story in a single image."
Sophia uses a range of media in her work, and is now working up the remaining six sketches into final designs using inks, acrylic paint, and charcoal.
The designs behind Sophia’s winning entry featured an image of Ethelred the Unready with waves crashing over his shoulders, to symbolise the constant attack by Vikings which defined Ethelred’s reign; his cloak, resembling the East Coast of Britain, burns, while his outstretched hand pours away money, illustrating his repeated attempts to buy off the invaders. Sophia will receive a prize of £2,000, to be awarded at a launch of the designs this year.
She added: ‘When I graduate, I’d love to be involved in more projects as interesting as this. We’ll see what happens!’
"In the meantime, I’m focusing on an illustration project about Russian folk tales and history as part of my Masters course. The tutors at Sunderland are very approachable and the technicians have been great too."
Alison Barratt, Senior Lecturer and Programme leader for BA (Hons) Illustration and Design and MA Illustration, said: "’I’m delighted that the work of such a talented and motivated student as Sophia has been recognised at a national level.
"The competition subject matter was a perfect platform for her deep interest in history, her research skills and her ability to use new knowledge to create not just one but seven stunning and lyrical illustrations, each one telling a richly woven story of a Saxon King. It’s such a pleasure to teach Sophia.
"Many congratulations to an excellent student who will contribute greatly to her chosen field of work."
All Saints Church is also looking for organisations to sponsor the panels, to get involved or for more information about the redevelopment of the church go to http://www.allsaintskingston.co.uk/heritage/where-england-began