Raft/Rafft Exhibition 30th April- 28th May

PRIVATE VIEW 29th 6PM-9PM

An exhibiton of lighting, textiles, ceramics, painting, installation and video by Cardiff based artists, Judy Foote, katie Rigby, Lisa Tann, Alice Smith, Helen Malia, Beth Sanders, Laura Howe, Marega Palser and Johana Hartwig.

Saturday stay and Play Workshops.

Space is limited on a first come first served basis so come early to avoid disappointment.

Saturday 30th April Felt Flower Making
Saturday 7th May Paper Making and Collage
Saturday 14th May Clay Modeling and Tile Making
Saturday 21st May Lantern Making
Saturday 28th May Badge Making

11.00-12.30 and 1.30- 3.00

INTIMATE CARTOGRAPHIES 1: Landscape Explorations

As an artist-letterer working with issues to do with the environment, language and cultural identity, a sense of place is fundamental to Valerie's work, much of which is made in response to a given location. The poetic resonance of language and its connection to the environment drives her work, which is concerned with how the environment is defined through language and cultural identity.

In recent projects she has been exploring ideas of mapping in relation to a sense of place, as well as an understanding of community and landscape. She has also been looking at the act of journeying itself. To journey is to explore and discover cultural traces embedded in the land. These traces include fragments of objects, memories, history and remnants of text and sound. It is these ‘unseen paths’ that connect us to nature, to the liminal, to the invisible world of currents, winds, ideas and language.

The first stage of this work-in-progress explores the poetic responses of various writers to the landscape and looks into the diversity of languages that we use to connect to our internal and external human geography. One aspect of this is looking at the relationship between walking and creativity. Another aspect looks particularly at the poetry of Ivor Gurney, Edward Thomas and John Clare, all of whom suffered from depression or mental illness, and how they used walking the land to create a sense of well-being.