Chloe Malik is a first-year PhD student, generously funded by CHASE DTP and supervised by Dr Emily Guerry and Dr David Rundle. Her thesis will explore the intersection of text and image in the Gothic stained glass of Canterbury Cathedral. This research aims to place these inscriptions within the context of contemporary ecclesiastical architecture. It will also explore their place in twelfth-century Latin verse culture and address questions of literacy of both their creators and viewers.
Benefitting from unprecedented access to the work of the conservators at the cathedral’s stained glass studio, Chloe’s research also hopes to offer new interpretations of these unique texts in the wake of ongoing conservation. This ‘research in practice’ aims to provide insight into the making of medieval glass and our understanding of collaboration in its production.
Outside of her PhD, Chloe is kept busy by the architecture of her own home as she and her husband attempt to renovate their doer-upper. She is also mum to three very lively young children who keep her on her toes!
Chloe’s research interests include all types of inscriptions and their role in ‘textual communities’; Gothic art and architecture, in particular stained glass programmes; medieval artistic practices and their transmission; and the cults of saints, especially anything related to Thomas Becket. She is also interested in the ways technology can be used to enhance our interpretations and interactions with heritage sites.