Where The Light Gets In proudly presents "Yan Tan Tethera," a solo exhibition by Kat Wood. The title refers to an ancient sheep-counting system from Northern England, using Brythonic Celtic numbers once common for counting sheep and knitting stitches.
The exhibition includes sculptural works and framed photographs from Wood's Shepherd’s Residency (June to October 2021), part of the Neringa Forest Architecture programme, within Lithuania's NERINGA Capital of Culture 2021. This residency involved a flock of 30 Skudde sheep from Dzūkija, brought to Nida as part of a nature conservation effort.
The exhibition features photographs from the project "Skudde," capturing moments such as the flock crossing the Russian border, a dog attack, and new friendships, all framed with wood from Grobštas Nature Reserve.
A communal fabric piece created through workshops in The Responsive Resource Series: Wool will also be displayed. These workshops, led by Joanne and Kat Wood, Katrina Wilde, Nadine Wilde, Eve Taylor, and Cooperative Stitched Up, covered wet felting, natural dyeing, weaving, and knitting.
"Yan Tan Tethera" marks the conclusion of The Responsive Resource Series, which explored societal interactions with natural resources through workshops, discussions, and exhibitions. This series aimed to inspire curiosity about alternative consumer practices.
The exhibition features a large, suspended sculpture that reflects the interdependence between rural and urban life. It critiques the British farming system, highlighting issues such as the low price of food, high land costs, and the challenges facing a new generation of farmers.
The sculpture incorporates polypropylene bags, ropes, native wood, livestock markers, and waste wool from farms across the North West of England. This wool, which was burned in protest of low prices in 2020, is used here to symbolise the industry's decline and the potential of wool as a versatile, environmentally-friendly resource. The bright livestock markers indicate ownership, while the use of baling twine ropes suggests the precarious stability of the wool, questioning why this valuable resource remains underutilised. The exhibition prompts reflection on how wool could support local economies and contribute to sustainable industrial practices, aligning with net zero carbon goals.
