The Sea, the Ghost and the Kite Maker

East Gallery Fellow, Marilou Chagnaud presents The Sea, the Ghost and the Kite Maker, a compelling project that delves into the geological phenomenon of erosion along the Norfolk coastline.

Through her unique, poetic approach, Chagnaud transcends traditional landscape documentation, crafting a minimalist and abstract visual language that captures both the physical transformation of these coastal landscapes, and the human stories embedded within them.

The Norfolk coastline is in constant transformation. Shaped by the elements, the soft beaches, cliffs and dunes suffer ceaseless attrition. It is an ongoing metamorphosis that reflects a passage of time so lengthy that it is difficult to comprehend in terms of a human lifespan. Marilou Chagnaud’s multidisciplinary project The Sea, the Ghost and the Kite Maker responds to the fragile and dynamic processes of this coastal change. Here, in this exhibition, the artist breathes vision into both the geological alteration, and the deeply human stories embedded within the shifting landscape.

During Chagnaud’s 12-month Fellowship with East Gallery, she was inspired to undertake repeated coastal walks between Sheringham and Sea Palling, staying at Weybourne beach, and having conversations with local residents and environmental groups. Chagnaud’s practice blends careful observation, community engagement, and material experimentation. Her beach walks were not deliberately scientific but followed a natural pattern of human movement, and she was able to bear-witness to a coastline in flux; cliffs crumbling under the rain and tides, dunes disappearing with battering winds, and homes lost to storms. Her journeys demonstrated the sensory reality of living on the edge of turbulent water, and the significant tension between permanence and impermanence.

The exhibition reflects these layered experiences through a specific visual and sensory language. Chagnaud distils the narrative of erosion into a minimalistic code of lines, textures and sounds.

About the artist

Marilou Chagnaud’s practice combines printmaking, sculpture, and site-specific installations. Her work revolves around the use of lines, colours and geometrical patterns to investigate spatial perception and movement. Through repetition, grid systems and symmetry, she develops a visual language that incorporates both two and three-dimensional forms. She is interested in the potential of folds and pliable materials to create dynamic compositions that play with the viewer’s perception and generate sensory experiences.

Born in Montreal in 1983, Marilou Chagnaud lives and works in York. She graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from the Ecole Supérieure d’Art d’Aix-en-Provence (2003-2008), followed by a Diploma in Textile Design from Centre Design et Impression Textile de Montréal (2012-2015).

Launch Event

Thursday 3 July 2025, 5–7.30pm

Join us for the launch of our latest exhibition with East Gallery Fellow, Marilou Chagnaud.

The evening will feature two live performances by musicians Desmond Clarke (composer, visual artist and oboist) and Gaia Blandina (interdisciplinary sound art and cellist), who have collaborated with Marilou to create a unique soundscape, created at and inspired by, Weybourne Beach. The piece draws on an experimental process of using sounds produced by found objects on the beach including wood, stones, shells, whelk eggs and seaweed. Performances will take place at 5.30pm and 6.30pm, and complimentary refreshments will be served.

This is a drop-in event and open to all, but please register to let us know you’re coming.

About the East Gallery Fellowship Programme

Launched in 2023, the East Gallery Fellowships (Creative Practice) provide a significant opportunity for creative exchange and experimentation embedded in the pioneering research culture of Norwich University of the Arts. Appointed through an annual open call, the Fellowships provide pastoral and curatorial support, a generous grant, production expenses, and valuable access to the University’s state of the art facilities. The Fellowships are non-prescriptive and focus on supporting creative practitioners to research and develop an innovative practice-based project that will result in a high-quality exhibition at East Gallery. Applications for the 2025/2026 Fellowships are open until 14 July at 12pm (BST).