Henna Asikainen

The Dover Prize would support the development of a new body of artwork rooted in the prehistoric landscape of County Durham. Building on research initiated during my residency at the Heritage for Global Challenges Research Centre(University of York), and in connection with my current DYCP grant and forthcoming residency at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ġgantija in Malta, I will explore ancient human–bird relationships through the lens of avian archaeology and mythology.
Recent advances in micro-archaeology—such as the microscopic analysis of soil samples revealing bird remains alongside human burials—point to deep symbolic and emotional connections between humans and birds in ancient funerary practices. Sites like the Tomb of the Eagles (Orkney), Ġgantija (Gozo), and the Vedbæk burial in Denmark—where a newborn was laid to rest on the wing of a swan—speak of protection, love, and interspecies kinship.
The project asks how these ancient entanglements between humans and more-than-human worlds might inspire contemporary practices of care, belonging, and ecological connection. The Dover Prize would enable hands-on material experimentation and place-specific research, anchoring the work in the rich archaeology of County Durham while connecting it to wider mythological and ecological narratives.
I plan to collaborate with an archaeologist specialising in prehistoric burials in the North East, alongside ornithologists and local custodians of landscape. Fieldwork will include visits to cup-and-ring marked stones in the Northern Dales and research into regional collections such as those at the Bowes Museum. Although the meaning of these enigmatic carvings remains uncertain, they offer a powerful framework for reflecting on journeys, cosmologies, and the ritual interconnection between species—both then and now.
Through this research, I will develop a series of new art works using locally sourced wool, sustainable materials, and feathers repurposed from the poultry and textile industries. The resulting works will offer tactile meditations on grief, care, extraction, and resilience—bridging ancient wisdom and urgent contemporary concerns.
While the project will culminate in an exhibition, this is only the beginning. I see this work as the foundation for a longer-term, multidisciplinary investigation into interspecies kinship, ecological grief, and future-making practices rooted in deep time and place.