In 2020, Brian Clarke began a series of collages and drawings on paper, exploring the compositions of skulls that would be included in the Stroud Ossuary window. Developing from the earlier ‘Ossuary’ series of drawings and paintings, these works explore the motif of the skull — a symbol that came to prominence in his work during the memento mori leadworks series, ‘Don’t Forget the Lamb’.

Undertaken in collage, white pencil on black paper, and watercolour on white and black paper, these works explore the forms of ossuaries: ancient religious sites in which human bones are stored, often arranged in rows or patterns.