©Simon Newman for Winchester Cathedral
Whales
Tuesday 10th February - Saturday 7th March 2026
See three majestic sperm whale sculptures suspended in our Nave. A thought provoking and inspiring artwork by artist Tessa Campbell Fraser In partnership with MESSUMS ORG
About Whales
In this awe-inspiring art installation, Campbell Fraser seeks to unravel the interspecies communications between man and animal that are currently at the forefront of scientific research. Three monumental (5.2m, 4.6m and 3m respectively) sculptures of sperm whales which will hang from the nave ceiling. The nave’s wooden roof beams were often compared to the timbers of an upside down ship or boat, carrying subliminal associations with the industrial scale whaling which reduced sperm whale numbers to critical levels in the 19th century, when their waxy spermaceti oil famously oiled the wheels of the Industrial Revolution.
The sculptures offer a response to the environment whereby the viewer becomes immersed into an imaginative world of the whale whilst the surroundings reflect man’s increasing ecological impact on the world’s climate.Whales won first prize in the Association for Heritage Interpretation Engaging People Award for the launch presentation at Winchester Cathedral in 2025. This prestigious award recognised the exhibition for its effective audience engagement relating to the climate emergency.
Always fascinated by the physicality of substance, texture, form and space (both positive and negative), Campbell Fraser deliberately seeks out and employs sustainable, natural, recycled or repurposed materials. In this exhibition she is using recycled ghost netting, silk chiffon and latex. Using haptic techniques with these materials, she creates fluid, protean pieces in two-and three-dimensional forms to explain her dialogue between herself and nature.
Whales will open on the 10th February until 7th March. Admission is free during the day but charges will apply for groups, evenings and special events. The exhibition is suitable for all ages.
Visiting Whales
Whales is open free of charge during the day. Rochester Cathedral is a working church and sometimes closes for special events and services. Please do double check opening times before visiting to avoid disappointment.
Groups including school groups must pre-book and charges do apply
Events under Whales
We have an exciting programme of events inspired by the sea taking place under Whales.
Music
Enjoy a programme of music inspired by the underwater world.
Family Activities
Activities for the whole family under Whales
Lates
See Whales in a new light after dark at one of our Lates. Charges apply
Adult Learning
Learn more about the world of Whales in one of our special talks.
About the artist
Tessa Campbell Fraser F.R.S.S. (born 1967)
Tessa Campbell Fraser F.R.S.S.
Tessa Campbell Fraser is a British painter and sculptor based in Oxfordshire. Born in Edinburgh, she studied at Chelsea School of Art and afterwards established herself as one of the country’s leading animal artists. She has completed several major life-size, and larger than life, sculptures and paintings for clients including the late Queen Elizabeth II, the King of Bahrain, Knuthenborg Safari Park Denmark, William Grant & Son, the Household Cavalry and Sir Jackie Stewart. She has work in private collections around the world including Australia, South Africa, Monaco, and the USA, and has exhibited widely including at the Royal Academy Summer Shows, Sculpture at Goodwood, the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford and the Natural History Museum in London where she had a major solo show in 2004.
In 2001, she was elected an Associate Member of the Royal Society of Sculptors and became a Fellow of the Society in 2004.
Campbell Fraser’s work is informed by her interaction with nature and travels, notably Greenland and recently Dominica, inspiring a series of paintings and allegorical sculptures exploring the interspecies relationship between man and animal. Initially she Portrayed this in a group of sculptures for her Bishop and Bear series and laterally, her work has involved the interspecies communication with Whales.
She has been concerned with the effects of Climate Change for over twenty years and her sculptures offer a poignant and beautiful reflection on the symbiosis between man and animal, and how precarious this balance is for both as man encroaches more and more into the wild spaces. She is constantly in awe of how much we can learn from the natural world.
About MESSUMS ORG
MESSUMS ORG is a collaborative space for artists, collectors and thinkers. It is a virtual and physical network for the presentation and engagement with creative expression across artistic genre. Started as Messums Wiltshire in 2016 in a 13th Century Tithe Barn by Johnny Messum, the business has established venues and arts communities in the West and East of England. These locations are connected to an exhibiting venue in central London, evolving the role of the gallery from presentational space to one that offers access, support and knowledge to the creative languages.
Our core specialisms are represented in the breadth of the arts we engage in as part of the programme of exhibitions and events at our venues. This encompasses painting, drawing, ceramic, sculpture, film, photography, performance, architecture, textiles and more. Together with our exhibitions and events, we offer international artist residencies, contemporary dance premières, symposia, and workshops. Central to our ethos is the relationship between creativity and problem solving, seeking solutions to aid progress and foster understanding.
