11th Nov - 27th Jan 2008
REFRESH
NINE NEW GRADUATES



Brooch - brass with found iron fencing
1 2 3 4

 

 


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Sian Anwyl Williams

Being away from my homeland creates an intense sense of 'hiraeth'. There is no comparable word in English that describes this longing. This longing has drawn me back to my roots which are buried deep in the hills above the Conwy valley, North Wales, to my family's farm. Inspired by these rich rural agricultural surroundings, through my work I aspire to reconnect to my home and to familiarize others with fading farming customs.

My jewellery is inspired by the structure and surface of old iron fencing that borders most of our fields. Bringing rusted iron parts from the fencing with me and incorporating them with precious metals reminds me of my farmstead and also challenges peoples perception of what is precious.

Sheep Ear Marking Spoon's

A traditional farming custom that intrigued me was the sheep identification marking. The tradition is most commonly used when sheep roam on 'common' in the mountains and moorlands of North Wales. To identify the sheep and their owners, every farm has a set of marks which are cut into the left and right ear of the sheep. Robart Jones, the previous owner of my family's farm, Moelogan, collected sheep ear markings from all the local farms compiling them into a book, which he then gave to my parents when they bought our farm from him. The book which is old and torn contains accurate handwritten diagrams of the ear markings along with the farms they belong to; these are listed alphabetically under every village. Having this incredible historic book was a privilege and it compelled me to restore the memory of the custom and the story of the book, through my work.

Biographical Details

Artists taking part in 'Refresh' are: Min-Ji Cho, Christine Kaltoft, Helga Mogensen, Momoko Kumai, Anna Deacon, Sian Anwyl Williams, Antonella Giomarelli, Jenny Llewellyn, Iris De La Torre.
Artists taking part in 'Collectable 4 Christmas' are Bettina Speckner, Germany; Poppy Dandiya, India/UK; Marianne Anderson, Scotland; Xavier Ines Monclus, Spain.