Commissioned to mark the 600th anniversary of Lincoln College, Oxford, this tapestry is the result of a dynamic collaboration between the celebrated British artist Hurvin Anderson and Dovecot Studios. The project reflects the College's rich history and its commitment to innovation through research and education.
Spanning over five metres, the tapestry captures the spirit of Lincoln College and its community. Anderson's design portrays the long dining tables often associated with academic life, evoking the shared rituals of meals and scholastic exchange. Abstracted forms and layered symbols reflect Oxford University's four academic divisions: humanities; medical sciences; mathematical, physical and life sciences; and social sciences. The emblems for these schools are displayed alongside Lincoln's recognisable architectural elements, objects associated with the college, and most importantly, the students who are always at the heart of the university's mission.
Woven by hand by five weavers at Dovecot over several months, the tapestry showcases the craft of contemporary weaving. At the same time, its form, rooted in the tradition of medieval tapestries that once adorned grand halls, echoes the College's founding in 1427. As Lincoln College approaches its 600th anniversary, The Lincoln College Tapestry offers a marker of legacy, rooted in centuries of scholarship, reimagined through a 21st-century lens. It is both a celebration of Lincoln College's past and a gesture toward its future.
