The Votive Fishing Fleet

Strange Cargo has produced this full colour book to accompany the installation in The Mariners’ Chapel at St. Peter's Fisherman's Church in Folkestone, that is dedicated to those that work at sea especially out of the local fishing port. The artwork takes inspiration from Mexican votive paintings to celebrate the men, families and more than 200 registered vessels that feature in Folkestone’s long maritime history.

The A4 format, 54 page book contains interviews with local fishermen and researched archives, folklore, and historic events connected to Folkestone’s fishing industry. 20 stories were chosen to inspire artworks produced by 20 commissioned artists, which are also featured in the book. Each artwork was glazed onto a porcelain tile, together with the stories that inspired the paintings. The tiles are hung inside ceramic frames as a series of images to commemorate the bravery and importance of Folkestone’s fishing industry.