shown at:
Traces 2025
Saturday 19th July 2025
1-6pm
Tower Hamlets 
Cemetery Park,
Southern Grove,
London E3 4PX 

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wrap, swathe, enfold (2025)
100% wool batting, 100% wool packing insulation, cotton thread, and decorative cord

'wrap, swathe, enfold' together form an artwork
that refers to the tradition of wrapping bodies in woollen, rather than cloth shrouds, as ordained by King Charles II in a bid to support the ailing woollen trade in England*.
The law was only rescinded in the mid-nineteenth century when cremation was legalised as an alternative to burial.
The wool appears comforting, and reminds us of the deep sleep of death, and the cords and tassels hint at the use of black in Victorian mourning practices.

The three pieces that comprise 'wrap, swathe, enfold' are installed in and around a Cherry Laurel, a tree that is a symbol for protection and eternal life. Wool is being reintroduced in sustainable burial practices - so avoiding the release of Co2 into the atmosphere that occurs in cremation.

*Yorke, T (2017) 'Gravestones, Tombs and Memorials', Countryside Books, Newbury, Berkshire, p.14

‘wrap, swathe, enfold’ was installed during
Traces 2025:
a one-day outdoor art  event inspired by 31 acres of woodland, meadows, dales, ponds, moss covered headstones, overgrown monuments, and rich heritage of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park - one of the 'magnificent seven' Victorian cemeteries of London.

Organised and curated by nomer collective,
Traces 2025 included new artworks by over 40 artists across 'sculpture, printmaking, installation, spoken word, music, and performance, who all created work in response to the
park’s rich history and natural beauty'. 
   

@nomercollective