Stories of the Itchen River

This practice-based research explores the layered stories of the River Itchen through drawing and exploratory mapping. The project treats mapping not as a fixed representation of geography, but as an active, creative process that uncovers narratives, memories, and cultural meanings embedded within the landscape.

Through iterative drawing, collage, and experimental cartographies, the work traces the river as a living archive—capturing ecological rhythms, human interactions, and imagined futures. The project positions mapping as a form of storytelling and “cultural intervention,” enabling deeper spatial understanding beyond conventional site analysis.

The research embraces layered and non-linear representations, combining observational drawing with interpretive mapping to construct a rich, multi-voiced reading of the Itchen. By engaging with both physical and imagined geographies, the work highlights how rivers act as carriers of memory, identity, and change. Ultimately, the project demonstrates how drawing-led mapping can function as a critical and generative tool, revealing hidden narratives and proposing new ways of seeing and engaging with place.