When I was young my grandmother would give me plasticine to play with and I would make horses and create stories with the clay.
These themes still occur within my work and I have been working as a ceramic artist over the past ten years. I graduated with first class honours from the University of Wales Institute in Cardiff, I then taught Art and Design before going to study at the Royal College of Art in London through a scholarship.
During my time at the RCA, I developed themes within my artwork studying the symbolism of the horse and Celtic symbolism such as Epona and Welsh Mythology and the Mabinogion.
I have now set up a studio in Pembrokeshire, where I am working on current artwork that discuss theme’s of love and loss using animal semiotics. Some pieces discuss the loss of my father such as in ‘Y Ceffyl Gryf Gyda Thri Baban’ and others relate personally to relationships I have experienced. I like the viewers to bring their own feeling to the work and create their own narratives and feelings when engaging with the ceramics.
I have recently developed Braille within my work as I became interested through working with children with visual impairment. Also when I ran clay workshops for some of the members from the local stroke club in Fishguard, I observed how they touched my work to feel the form to gain information. Adding Braille words to supply information to piece together a narrative to my artwork.
Human relationships fascinate me, the way we connect and deal with life, love issues are important starting point for me. I create sketches, drawing also making small quick clay sketches before moving on to create larger studio ceramics using slab building, carving and pinching techniques before firing and glazing using earthenware clay and glazes.
Having the exhibition at MOMA Cymru, is important to me as it is the starting point to my future ceramic/art career. I also use themes within my artwork to fuel my work as a performer and writer.
The exhibition at MOMA Cymru will run until the 20th of October.
More videos on Pethe’s YouTube Channel