A North East professor is set to return to the region to host a special exhibition on the Vikings in October and November.
Hexham Abbey will host the Viking Chronicles, a recent body of work by Richard Lynn Studham, Emeritus Professor in the Department of Integrated Studies at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. The exhibition consists of ten works pertaining to important dates when the Vikings arrived in the North East.
Born in Stanley and raised in Chester-le-Street, Dr Studham's body of work undertakes an investigation into Viking incursions and activities in Britain from 865 AD - 1016 AD, predominantly in Northumberland and East Anglia, with this period being well documented in the Anglo Saxon Chronicles, along with research undertaken by noted historians for their work during this era. Hexham Abbey has been chosen to host the exhibition due to its strong Viking connections. In fact, it is thought that Hexham Abbey was able to survive an attack by the Vikings and was able to continue serving the community, run by a single hereditary priest.
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The Viking Chronicles is not Richard's first return to the North East since he emigrated to Canada in 1960. In 2015, his exhibition A Paragon of Chivalry, consisted of 13 wall-mounted artworks hanging near the tomb of the Venerable Bede in Durham Cathedral, in conjunction with the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta.
For the new exhibition, Dr Studham uses primitive fired clay and mixed media for his artworks. They are part of two decades of work which has aimed to encompass a thread of spiritual meaning.
He said: "Having studied in Denmark, historical Viking confrontational encounters both in Scandinavia and countries farther afield challenged the theme to a continued exploitation of what the medium can unfold. Tales from the Icelandic Sagas and runic inscriptions were extensively researched to evoke the desired result."
The retired professor, who has a scholarship in his name at the University of Sunderland, will be in Hexham in early October to set the exhibition up, and said: " I return to the North East whenever I can, that is where my roots are. I grew up in the region and only left when I was about 24 for North America.
"I used to know Newcastle like the back of my hand because I used to hang out there, but everything's changed now, really. I feel like a tourist when I come back!"
It's likely that this will be Richard's last international exhibition in the UK, though the 86-year-old does intend to carry on in North America. He continued: "Since Covid the cost of shipping exhibitions is now unbelievable - it's tripled or quadrupled in price. But this one has been put on hold due to Covid and has been reserved for the last three years.
"We said, let's do it this year, we'll take our chances. We decided October would be the best month, but I'm always happy to come back to the UK."
The Viking Chronicles is a free exhibition and will be on display at Hexham Abbey from October 7 - November 4 2022. For more information, visit the Hexham Abbey website.
Will you be visiting the Viking Chronicles at Hexham Abbey? Let us know!
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