COFIWCH

I use welsh mythology as a starting point to discuss serious aspects of society. Initially focusing on women in welsh mythology and retelling their stories, linking to themes of representation, questioning why, if these stories exist, do we not see them.
I create paintings symbolising how feminism has affected me. Lots of my work is inspired by the feminism of Lola Olufemi who advocates that to change the world, we must first imagine a better one.
I question what it means to be Welsh when I don’t live there, speak the language or know the history.
The drowning of Capel Celyn, following uprisings and resulting protest slogan ‘Cofiwch Dryweryn’, is referenced in my paintings through writing and drips of paint, symbolising the drowning of culture and erasure of history. Using this example I explore my experience of not being taught about my culture as I only found out about Capel Celyn a year ago. I was not taught about welsh histories in school and they still aren’t now. The experience of not knowing your past is not unique to me and can be extrapolated to lots of different peoples and cultures as it is those in power who define history. I explore my experience of this.
I reference tactics of deception present in our government and state, hiding or burying information in the news making it difficult to identify what’s important. The removal of the right to protest is an example of this, in the last year two bills have passed designed to keep protesters quiet, and no one knows. Slogans in my work like “We Are Still Here” and “They Need Us” emphasise the urgency of the problems we are facing.
I use Spray paint as a link to rebellion and create work that mimics protest signs using block text in a refined way to reflect that this is not random anger, but considered outrage.
My work pays homage to the past while embracing the power in choosing not to allow it to govern my life now. We can’t hide in the past from the problems we are facing and only through knowing and accepting we can heal. In Welsh Mythology, birds are often symbolic of freedom and hope - I have used the motif of birds and wings to depict my healing and acceptance.