Chester Cathedral’s latest exhibition by its Artist in Residence Kirushan Sivagnanam explores displacement, transformation and ongoing questions of identity.
Kirushan Sivagnanam – Unsettled Ground February 20 to March 6
Mr Sivagnanam, originally from Sri Lanka and now based in the UK, holds the title of Chester Cathedral’s artist-in-residence for 2025–2027.
His role centres on community-focused artwork rooted in lived experience, and his latest project, Unsettled Ground is part of an ongoing collaboration between Bishops’ High School, Chester Cathedral, and the Chester City of Sanctuary group.
Participants are invited to contribute materials, actions and personal traces that reflect on how colonial powers continue to shape the way we live, influencing social systems, structures and everyday behaviours.
Clothing is tied, trapped, layered and transformed alongside printed matter, reflecting how bodies, lives and identities are shaped, restricted and reshaped over time.
Unsettled Ground brings together individual memory and collective experience, asking how people live with displacement, how identities are formed through adaptation and how lives continue to evolve on unsettled ground.
Antony Lees-Smith, Canon Missioner, said.
“Working with Kirushan over these past few months has been an exciting, challenging and illuminating experience as he brings fresh eyes and experience to our work at Chester Cathedral.”
“As a Cathedral of Sanctuary, we are delighted to see him engage with Bishops’ High School and other groups in the wider community, as we stand in solidarity with those fleeing war and persecution in today’s complex world.”
Helen Cairns, headteacher at Bishops’ Blue Coat CE High School, said:
“We are incredibly proud of our students for engaging so thoughtfully with this project.
“Collaborations like this enrich our curriculum and deepen our young people’s understanding of the world around them.
“Working with Kirushan and Chester Cathedral has offered our students a powerful opportunity to explore identity, compassion, and creativity in a meaningful way.”
A total of 28 students from Years 8 to 12 participated in the workshop, creating more than 500 mixed-media artworks.
A centrepiece of the exhibition is The Unseen Story Behind the Scene, an installation composed of hundreds of folded paper boats made by schools, universities, community groups, and the artist himself.
Each boat contains a personal message, memory, or hope, collectively reflecting on the themes of movement, belonging, and the fragility of human experience.
Unsettled Ground from February 20 to March 6, 2026 – Chester Cathedral
