“We’re delighted to be working with RHS Bridgewater, which is such a beautiful asset right on our doorstep. I’ve been aware of Yan’s amazing work and her focus on the natural world for some time, and have been waiting for the right opportunity to work with her – we’re very excited.”
~Lindsay Taylor, Curator of the University’s Art Collection
Discover more about the Artist in Residence programme from award-winning artist and photographer Dr Yan Wang Preston and Lindsay Taylor, Curator of the University of Salford Art Collection.
About the Programme
The focus of the Artist in Residence programme at RHS Bridgewater will develop organically, initially exploring the former historic site of Worsley New Hall. This area of the garden, which at present is largely inaccessible to visitors, is key to the story of the garden. A cosmopolitan wilderness shaped by its geology, industrial past and horticultural redevelopment – themes that connect RHS Bridgewater to a global history and diverse cultures. The residency offers a window into this wilderness and a chance to explore the horticultural and heritage stories it holds.
Working in partnership with the University of Salford Art Collection, the first stage of the residency is a research and development period from September 2024 to January 2025. From March 2025 there will be a full development period, including a series of public workshops and a pop up display at RHS Bridgewater. In spring and summer 2026, the new work created by Artist in Residence Dr Yan Wang Preston will be presented outdoors in the garden, before an exhibition in autumn at Salford Museum and Art Gallery concludes the residency.
The Artist in Residence project with RHS Bridgewater helps the University deliver on some of its core ambitions, which are to enable healthier living, to nurture creativity and innovation, and to improve sustainability. It will also ensure that the Art Collection team continues to serve the University’s students, staff and wider communities – now and in the future.
Meet the Artist
Dr Yan Wang Preston is a multi-award-winning visual artist and photographer who is passionate about the natural world and our positions within it.
She has completed many challenging projects, including photographing the entire 6,211km Yangtze River in China at 100m intervals for Mother River (2010–2014), and walking to and photographing the same heart-shaped rhododendron bush on the South Pennine Moors every other day over an entire year for With Love. From an Invader. (2020–2021).
“I’m delighted to have this opportunity to work with RHS Bridgewater. Plants and flowers enrich our lives with so much beauty and vitality. Like people, they come from long journeys that are full of moving stories.”
~Dr Yan Wang Preston, Artist in Residence
Yan’s work has won many prestigious awards, including the Royal Photographic Society’s inaugural Photographer of Environmental Responsibility in 2023 and first prize in the Professional Landscape competition at the Sony World Photography Awards in 2019.
Her work is shown in numerous exhibitions, such as the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery in 2024, With Love. From an Invader. at the Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh in 2022 and Mother River in the 2015 UK-China Year of Cultural Exchange in China.
Yan has published two books: Mother River, and Forest, both with Hatje Cantz in 2018. Her work is collected by leading public institutions, such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Wuhan Art Museum in China.
Based in West Yorkshire, Yan is a passionate gardener. Her favourite plants are peonies, rhododendrons and water lilies. Besides her artistic career, she also lectures in photography at the University of Huddersfield.
“For the research stage of this residency, I would like to prepare the ground first – to gain an understanding of the journey of RHS Bridgewater, and to try to grasp why the plants mean so much to us from personal, collective and artistic angles.”
~Dr Yan Wang Preston
