"Xenia offered me time and space that I have never experienced before.

Nestled in the countryside I found so much more than I could have anticipated - unravelling parts of my practice and myself in the generous studio space and the expanse of green woodlands. I wrote a lot in between sculpting and drawing and was able to dig deep into my reflections about materials and form. The works that I made were steps forward into a new era of my practice and I’m so grateful for that.

My fellow artists in residence provided me with critiques and the sense of community we built together is something that I will treasure for years to come. Xenia is an incredible place to expand one's practice and mind.

Many thanks for the expansive thoughts, new friends, and development of work."

Abbie Griffiths

"I had such a wonderful and productive time at Xenia! I want to say a huge THANK YOU for these so meaningful 3 weeks.

The stay at Xenia was very meaningful for me, the peace of mind and being surrounded by nature was exactly what I needed. I moved forward with my on-going project while giving place to healing. 

I did some photoshoots in the sun, and on the rainy days edited previous work or wrote text to accompany the works. The nature in Xenia is overwhelming, it was a reminder for me to listen to my body and the importance of being in balance in order to create. Thank you for giving me the place for doing that, and for believing in me and my work."

Yael Weisser

“Back where I come from there are [wo]men who do nothing all day but good deeds. They’re called uh…uh… “Good Deed Doers”, and their hearts are no bigger than yours. But they have one thing you haven’t got… a Testimonial. Therefore: “In consideration of your kindness I take pleasure in presenting you with a small token of our esteem and affection”… and remember my sentimental friend, a heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.” — The Wizard of Oz.

Rather than the tick-tock token of a heart clock, please allow me to offer another kind of testimonial. To be sure Xenia Creative Retreat is a fantastic residency. I and my collaborator Sawami had a very productive four weeks absorbed in its emerald reflections. We shot 3.5 TB of media while there, maxing out all my available storage, and I’ve returned to Brooklyn with literally an overwhelming wealth of digital footage to work from. The reason for this success was I think due to three things: the generosity of the circumstance, the openness of the space, and the privacy to explore it.

Human generosity is often a fickle thing, and suspending judgement is a skill needing constant refinement. I think this is doubly true for someone who takes the hosting of artists into their own homes. Thank you Bianca for so gracefully rising to this difficult challenge in the general conception of the retreat, and in specifically allowing us full access to the grounds, even to the interior of your beautiful house. It significantly expanded what we imagined we could do. 

Similarly expansive was just the fact of this rolling countryside estate. From sunrise to golden hour, we filmed in nature’s inspirational realm, where around every bend was a surprise or a spectacle. Late in our stay I noticed that the power lines that slashed across the distant countryside went underground at the edges of the estate. It was extremely comforting to know the aesthetic experience of the view was so valued, that you had the lines buried to preserve the pleasure. Thank you. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that sense of care.

A care that was extended to your resident artists through your respect for their practices and privacy. I can’t lie: when I first saw the architecturally lovely, purpose built studio space, I was blown away. Yet I also thought how it could easily be considered an “artist terrarium”, where we could be presented ‘in situ’ like a living diorama. ;)  But due to your and your (warm and absolutely amazing) staff’s sensitivity and respect, that thought never re-occurred.  It is often said that all artists really need is space and time, but I would counter that the privacy to explore, without explanation or judgement, is equally important. 

All said, the Xenia Creative Retreat is really an artist’s wonderland residency. A place where the fantastic can occur. A place to feel carefully yet securely supported through the destabilizing circumstance of making art. Thank you Bianca for the opportunity to experience the genuine luxury of open space, both inside and out. It’s rare to feel so loved.

- Dean Moss

My time at Xenia was wonderful and very productive.

Meditative and calming, the environment and atmosphere helped me to really focus on the work. I spent time walking and cycling in the woods and communing with the animals on the Farm everyday.

The colours and shapes of the foliage found it's way into my work very quickly.  Living in the workspace and at such a different pace of life than I have in the City was a profound experience that i feel I will be unpicking and taking inspiration from for years.  

Thanks to the whole XENIA team for being so helpful and accommodating and making me really feel at home..

Haroun Hayward 

"I had been looking forward to my residency at Xenia with great anticipation, hoping that it would be a restorative, de-stressing experience - where I could explore some new ways of making paintings, perhaps leaving with one or two things that felt really fresh.

As I settled in, it soon became clear that these expectations were going to be thoroughly exceeded (blown away) as I realised how utterly at ease I felt, how truly conducive the place is thinking and painting, and how unbelievably fortunate I was to have this singular opportunity. A sense of burnout accrued from a year of pandemic life in London quickly melted away, and I felt as unfettered, creatively limber and free to paint as I ever have.

What’s more, spending time with my young family here has been a dream. From the warmest possible welcome to the endlessly helpful and friendly community of people that live here (Jaye, Lucy, Filipe et al), finishing with a gorgeous Easter Sunday, it’s been extremely special. To be able to introduce our two year old, Florence, to shetland ponies, horses, deer, alpacas, pheasants, rabbits, hens and more, and live with such a feeling of wellbeing, amidst the paraphernalia of painting in the countryside has been a gift on top of the sense of creative endorphins kicking in.

As well as making drawings responding to the distinctive beauty of the surroundings, I embarked, as planned, on a series of large works on paper using gouache, acrylic watercolour and cut-out or collaged elements. I was more productive and made further ground in these than I might reasonably have hoped, opening up some areas that I really hadn’t foreseen. The touchstones - Richard Diebenkorn, Yasujirō Ozu, Satoshi Kon and Eric Carle - had been ruminated on in locked-down King’s Cross, but it was the peace and beauty of this place that allowed my response in painting to flow with a renewed energy. I feel revived and will treasure the memories of this wonderful time.

My heartfelt thanks to Bianca and Stuart for hosting us with such extraordinary generosity.

Warmest wishes,

Nicholas"

"Being residents of the Xenia Creative Retreat was a highlight of our year. The welcoming hosts, the isolated setting the closeness to nature afforded us a peace of mind and calmness that resulted in a highly productive month in Hampshire.

Coming from abroad it gave us a chance to get to know the English Countryside and rural life better (who knew that suc thing as a public footpath exists! We love them!), while dedicating undisturbed time to a large scale project we've been planning to realise since a long time. Bianca, Stuart, Jaye, Lucy and everyone else who took such good care of us and made us feel at home. This does not happen often in residencies and apart from the magnificent setting the success of the Xenia Creative Retreat lies with the people who run it. Thank you!"

Evgeny and Lubov