New exhibition from the 3ormore group about to open at y galericaerffili
Visual artists Kay Keogh, Shirley Anne Owen and Sue Roberts set up 3ormore in 2013 with the aim of either organising exhibitions of their own work, or acting as a hub with the option to invite guest artists to exhibit with them for specific exhibitions and projects. Their latest exhibition opens this week at Y Galeri Caerfili and comprises of work by the three members plus four invited guest artists: digital media artist Josephine Sowden, printmaker Michael Goode and painters Jacqueline Alkema and Geraldus John.
This exhibition includes the results of an exploration into printmaking processes. The majority of the group are artists with limited or no experience in this field. With support from the Arts Council of Wales, they have undertaken master classes with Kit Lloyd in collagraph, drypoint etching and monoprint. Subsequent sessions have helped them to develop their work as an extension of their art practices. As a group they have exhibited widely in Wales and the UK, many have won awards and several are members of groups such as The 56 Group Wales and the Welsh Group. This show is made up of 90 pieces, many are the product of the master classes but there are also ceramics, digital media, photographs and paintings.
Painter Kay Keogh graduated from Glamorgan University in 2008 with a First Class Honours Degree in Fine Art. In October 2011 she won a Full Scholarship at The Cardiff School Art and Design and went on to gain a distinction for her Masters Degree in Fine Art. Her work is in a permanent collection at the Glamorgan University Museum. She has since won numerous art awards and is an invited Fellow with the 56 Group. Her distinctive paintings are often small scale and show acute observation of people and warm humour.
Sue Roberts is primarily a sculptor working in bronze, iron, clay and plaster. She uses 2D to consolidate her ideas and has a multi media approach to her work. She finds inspiration from things we encounter and emotions and feelings. She grew up in the Far East and returned to Britain in her late teens settling in Tongwynlais where she has lived for the past thirty years. She works from her studio at The Printhaus in Canton, Cardiff
Penarth based Shirley Anne Owen works as a full time visual artist. In 2008 a successful application to The Arts Council of Wales brought funding for a six week project drawing and painting at National Trust sites on the Welsh Coast which are at risk from rising sea levels. The subject of the coast, coastal erosion and climate change is a continuing theme and in 2014, Welsh Coastal Life magazine published an article about her work, featuring images of her paintings. In 2015 she was accepted as a member of The Welsh Group.
‘My art practice is a response to a familiar environment as it changes, whether catching a fleeting moment or exploring the long term effects of coastal erosion and climate change. Many pieces develop from large scale drawings made on site and mark making is an essential element in all my work’.
Cardiff based artist Josephine Sowden graduated with a BA Hons in Photographic Art. from the University of South Wales in 2012. In 2013 she was awarded the Gold Medal for fine art in the National Eisteddford of Wales and has continued to exhibit widely throughout Wales and the rest of the UK. Her projects explore ‘the fall’ of humankind, triggered by the birth of monotheism and the rise of patriarchy and how both altered the evolution of the earth and the human race. She looks back to the origins of human worship, the importance of mother earth, and her later subordination; and how harking back to ancient civilisations may be able to help us with our current environmental and spiritual crisis.
Michael Goode is a printmaker based in Barry and has been a member of Swansea Print Workshop since 2009. He is also a founder member and director of the Cardiff Arts Collective. His work is inspired by architecture, nature and advertising and he uses a mix of screen prints, collagraphs and linocuts to create his prints. He has shown his work in a number of galleries including St. David's Hall, Oriel Canfas, Elysium Gallery and the National Eisteddfod. For this project, Michael investigated various historical and industrial buildings found within the valleys, including Caerphilly Castle, and looked at how these structures relate to the environment surrounding them.
Jacqueline Alkema’s paintings are the product of a thought process leading to a visualization of an inner state. The female figure with at times awkward poses is a predominant feature in her work. Her paintings develop through experimentation and intuition but with an awareness and control of the media used. Childhood memories and emotional experiences are recurring themes and domesticity and sexuality issues also underpin her work. She was born in Holland in 1948 but moved to the UK in 1969 and to Wales in 1979. She studied at Cardiff College of Art and Design for a B.A in Fine Art.
Geraldus John is a writer; poet and freelance artist. He studied chemical engineering at Glamorgan Technical College and worked as a Technical Service manager with a multinational oil company for over 30years. His engagement with fine art and writing followed early retirement in the mid-nineties. Since then, he has published many poems and short stories in mixed author anthologies and is in the process of publishing his second collection of poetry; his paintings have been widely displayed in one man and mixed exhibitions. The influence of scientific training, industry, the Welsh language and extensive travel is evident throughout his work.
The exhibition runs from 20 Oct – 21 Nov. There will be an informal launch & an opportunity to meet the artists on Sunday 25 Oct. (2.30 -4.30pm). All welcome.
Y Galeri Caerffili is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10am -5pm. Free admission.
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