This month, Artist, Educator and Co-presenter Grace Adam looks forward to her solo exhibition at Walpole Old Chapel in Suffolk, following a six-month residency
Earlier this year I was driving past one of my favourite buildings; a strange, long Suffolk farmhouse. Walpole Old Chapel sits quietly by the road just outside Halesworth. In 1649, this architectural oddity was converted into a place for secret worship. Many lives have passed through this place, and the building itself has had different lives – a home before it was a chapel. A thought popped into my head. I contacted the people at the chapel, and asked, ‘Would you like an Artist in Residence?’ The people at the chapel said ‘Yes’.
For nearly six months I’ve been in and out of the chapel, looking, thinking, absorbing and drawing, taking it all in. In February, I had so many layers on I could hardly move. In July, it was deliciously cool. Gradually, I’ve created a body of work that I think reflects and communicates the essence of the chapel. Drawings, paintings and a large site-specific installation will be on show there through October.
Without doubt, Walpole Old Chapel is a unique building; plain, pragmatic and practical, also beautiful. There are few straight lines. There are rough surfaces, worn edges and it is always just before 8.45 according to the clock. Big nails, kids’ graffiti, and a make-do-and-mend aesthetic runs through the interior. It’s good to be in there as a maker and to be ‘talking to’ all those other makers before me.
Approaching the chapel along ‘desire lines’- the quickest routes worn by generations of feet, you arrive in a religious space with almost no religious paraphernalia, and clambering upstairs to look out across the horizon has fed into several drawings.
Large scale charcoal drawings made in situ were my starting point. It seemed intuitively the right way to get to grips with the spartan interior-the forms and angles around me. Gradually, time spent there has brought to the surface details, shapes and objects that I’ve abstracted through work back in my studio. The austere box pews are a riot of rectangles! Large windows let light flood in, and seating certainly conforms to form follows function; no falling asleep in those pews.
As part of the Residency, I suggested doing some workshops, and we ran three very successful sessions: drawing, painting and collage. There was a lovely, friendly atmosphere with some people having lots of experience, and others trying out things for the first time. What an excellent way to enjoy the chapel.
I am very interested in our shared spaces and in maintaining access to them for all of us, so workshops were a great way to introduce new people to the space. As an artist, I am fascinated by the additions, subtractions and mendings; the ways our spaces evolve. Every generation’s alterations illustrate their beliefs, concerns and ways of living. Just think about your own home. Does it look the same as it did even 10 years ago?
I’m not a religious person but being in a building that was meant to welcome those who refused to follow the mainstream, and who took risks to do what they thought best-is a good place to spend time.
Grace Adam has been Artist in Residence at Walpole Old Chapel, Suffolk since March. If you’re in the area, pop into the Private View for the Lines of Dissent solo exhibition on Friday September 25, 5-7pm. Grace will be giving a free talk there on Sunday September 27, at 3pm, where there will be tea and cake. The exhibition runs until October 31, 2026. Please check opening times.
Featured image of Grace Adam – supplied
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