The Pump House
Residency 2026

We’re delighted to announce that Emmanuel Unaji has been selected as the winner of the 2026 Artiq x The Pump House Residency, following an open call across the Artiq artist network.

Now in its fourth year, the residency gives an artist from the Artiq network dedicated time and space to experiment, research and develop new work at The Pump House art studio in rural Nottinghamshire. Run by Nicholas Pryke and Claire Elliott, the studio supports artists with focused periods of experimentation and development, with previous residency artists Charlotte Aiken (2023), Valerie Kuzina (2024) and Zoë Wilkinson (2025) having each used the opportunity to develop and expand their ongoing practice.

Working across wellbeing, performance and fine art, Emmanuel’s practice explores visual narratives of cultural exchange. His process brings together oil pastel, graphite, acrylic, collage and painting, deconstructing cultural iconography through his signature split portraiture to explore what is known and unknown to both subject and viewer.

During his residency, Emmanuel will use The Pump House and its surroundings as a starting point for new research. He will create mixed-media studies responding to the building’s architecture, structural details, landscape and flora, bringing archival imagery and cultural figures into dialogue with the Nottinghamshire landscape. Through photography, collage, drawing, painting and printmaking, he will explore the contrasts between nature and architecture, visual culture and the natural world, as well as ideas of vanity, tranquillity and harmony.

Emmanual Unaji says:

"I am deeply honoured to be selected for the Artiq x The Pump House Artist in Residence 2026. I welcome the opportunity to immerse my practice within the distinct visual landscape of Nottinghamshire. Executed with the rigor of an on-location editorial production, the work will contrast rural aesthetics with theatrically stylized historical figures. Drawing inspiration from David Hockney’s Californian Modernism series, my studies will examine the precise architectural angles, interior nuances, and geometric structure of  the Grade II listed property set against clear blue skies."

Nic & Claire from The Pump House Art Studio says:

"Like previous years all the applications were strong. Emmanuel stood out for us because, as well as referencing the inspiring rural setting, he expressed an interest in exploring the physical architecture of The Pump House. It was the quirkiness, scale and historical nature of the buildings that attracted us to the site so we were very excited to see how Emmanual might interpret this. Especially with his sense of style, and use of photo-collage mixed with other media".

Megan, Artist Liaison at Artiq says:

Residencies allow time and space for the artist to truly dedicate themself to their practice and allow space to steep themselves in a new environment. We are so delighted to welcome Emmanuel, whose figurative approach and layered photo-collage techniques promises a fresh take on the Pump House architecture, interwoven with the flora and atmosphere of the Nottinghamshire landscape! Our heartfelt thanks to Nic and Claire for their continued support in bringing the residency to life. We can’t wait to see what Emmanuel creates!


We’re looking forward to seeing how Emmanuel’s time at The Pump House develops his research and shapes this new body of work, as he responds to the studio and its surroundings.