Work by leading ceramists and emerging makers from Wales is to be showcased at two free events which form part of Craft Festival Wales in Cardigan.
Significant Forms, curated by Peter Bodenham and presented at Cardigan’s contemporary art gallery Canfas, is an exhibition of museum quality ceramics from Wales. The exhibition features an exciting mix of makers who regularly exhibit internationally. Entry to this exhibition is free and it runs from 6 September to 8 October 2024.
Craft Trail in partnership with Oriel Myrddin, presents commissioned work by six emerging makers. This new work takes inspiration from the collections held by The National Contemporary Art Gallery of Wales, a major new initiative, sponsored by the Welsh Government, developed, and managed through a collaboration between Amgueddfa Cymru, the National Library of Wales and Arts Council of Wales.
Trail venues are Mwldan, The Albion by Fforest, Crwst, Cardigan Bay Brownies, Awen Teifi, and Make it in Wales / Stiwdio 3. It runs for three weeks from the beginning of September 2024.
Sarah James said: “Craft Festival Wales represents a long-standing ambition to create a world-class event that focuses on craft in Cardigan. Wales has an incredible wealth of creative talent, especially in ceramics, and Significant Forms represents some of the very best makers from across the country.
“The Craft Trail is an opportunity to showcase emerging talent and to highlight the importance of our National Museums and the collections that are cherished. Combining this with the Craft Festival at Cardigan Castle, it will be a cultural event not to be missed.”
The artists confirmed for Significant Forms are:
- Justine Allison (West Wales based potter who primarily works with hand-built porcelain)
- David Binns (North Wales ceramicist who makes distinctive glazed carved vessel forms)
- Peter Bodenham (potter, visual artist, and curator of the exhibition. Peter owns St Dogmaels Pottery and won the Gold Medal for craft at the National Eisteddfod in 2011)
- Adam Buick (St David’s ceramicist who uses a single pure jar as a canvas to map his observations from a study of his surroundings)
- Jin Eui Kim (originally from South Korea but now living in Cardiff, an accomplished ceramicist with a global reputation for his three-dimensional ceramic forms)
- Anne Gibbs (Cardiff ceramicist who makes small abstract sculptures primarily in porcelain and bone china)
- Catrin Howell (West Welsh ceramicist who creates delicate animal forms founded on legend, myth, and fantasy)
- Ingrid Murphy (Irish ceramic artist based in Wales whose work focuses on augmenting ceramic artefacts with a range of interactive technologies)
- Paul Wearing (Cardiff ceramicist who produces hand-built stoneware and porcelain vases)
- Deiniol Williams (Welsh ceramicist now living in Yorkshire whose woodfired stoneware explores the dichotomy between rhythm and discord, balance, and disorder)
Peter Bodenham said: “Significant Forms’ brings together ten exciting potters and artists working in clay, based in Wales. They all have national and international exhibiting profiles, representing the strength and diversity of contemporary ceramics throughout Wales today. The exhibition includes beautifully resonant vessels alongside abstract sculpture and figurative works and features both traditional making and work that embraces new technologies.
“Wales consistently produces and fosters a great range of ceramic artists due to its rich cultural heritage, museums and galleries with their important ceramic collections, working potters and educational centres that still deliver ceramic courses. Significant Forms showcases aspects of the quality and cultural relevance of ceramics being produced in Wales, in the town that is the birthplace of the National Eisteddfod.”
The makers confirmed for Craft Trail are:
- Ella Bua-In (Cardigan based potter)
- Ffion Evans (North Wales textile artist)
- Rosa Harradine (Carmarthen broom and brush maker)
- Rosie Lake (Carmarthenshire textile artist)
- Lewis Prosser (Penarth basket maker)
- Hannah Walters (Cardiff ceramicist)
Catherine Spring, Oriel Myrddin manager said: ‘We’re delighted to be part of Craft Festival Wales / Gŵyl Grefft Cymru. We’re especially excited for our first collaboration as part of the NCAGW, commissioning six exciting early career artists from Wales, which will be exhibited throughout venues in Cardigan during the highly successful Craft Festival this September.”
Craft Festival Wales, which is funded by Arts Council of Wales, Ceredigion County Council and QEST, will be held over three days at Cardigan Castle from 6 – 8 September 2024.
The event will showcase an exceptional handpicked selection of approximately eighty makers from across Wales and the UK – including jewellery makers, potters, furniture makers, textile artists, glassmakers and many more – all selling their finely made unique products directly to the public.
Craft Festival Wales welcomes people of all ages and offers a programme of exciting craft workshops, demonstrations, and masterclasses by some of the UK’s most prestigious makers. Over the weekend at the castle, there will be a Children’s Craft Tent, supported by Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre, National Wool Museum, Coleg Sir Gar and Small World Theatre - offering children the opportunity to get creative while having lots of fun.
Craft Festival Wales is part of a portfolio of events organised by Sarah James MBE and Nina Fox, who also organise the multi-award-winning Craft Festival in Bovey Tracey and Craft Festival Cheltenham. Craft Festival was founded in 2004 and is a non-profit making organisation which celebrates its 20th Anniversary in 2024. The event has grown from 2,000 visitors to over 10,000 since it started, and it has become one of the most prestigious craft events in Europe.
Craft Festival Wales is produced in association with Ceredigion County Council, Arts Council of Wales and QEST.
Partners are: Cardigan Castle, Cered - Menter Iaith Ceredigion, Coleg Sir Gar, Discover Ceredigion, Llantarnam Grange, Make it in Wales, Mwldan, National Wool Museum, Oriel Myrddin Gallery (Carmarthen County Council), Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) and Sea & Slate.
Supporters are: Awen Teifi, Canfas, Cardigan Town Council, Cardigan Bay Brownies, Coleg Ceredigion, Crwst, Fforest and Small World Theatre.
For media enquiries including photography, interview requests and accreditation for the event: Elin Rees – elinreescomms@gmail.com