Lady Primrose

2025, Fibreglass & steel, Commissioned by CALA for Wolvercote Mill

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​Named for the ghost said to walk the paper mill 100 years ago, Lady Primrose takes the form of a giant soft-hued swan adorned with details derived from drawings done by children in the local community. Monumental in proportions at 7 feet tall and childlike in form, she appears as though quickly constructed from papier-mâché or pulped up tissue.

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     “I sanded the final layer by hand. The raw sculpture reminded me of a rock face and, while I wanted her to be tactile, I didn't want to lose all those peaks and valleys, the imperfections in the surface and the hidden spider homes. The only part I wanted really smooth was the beak, I was thinking about old statues and how they wear away in areas people often touch…”

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Originally a paper mill, the site has gone through physical and social transitions. It was owned and managed by the Swann family for over 30 years, during which time the relationship with Oxford University Press was forged. The river which once powered the paper mill is now the heart of the local community, sustaining the flora and fauna and flowing past lady primrose.

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The swan is an allegory for connection and transformation. At once graceful and solid, their flowing shape is mimicked in a germinating seed and a spiralling galaxy. The yellow blooms repeat the primrose motif, messengers of British springtime which, in Celtic folklore, are said to mark the entrance to the faerie world...​​​​​​​​