New PWSH public murals celebrating difference have been created for summer 2023
PWSH creates radical and joyful public art in Cardiff that celebrates difference and re-imagines public spaces. Thanks to an Arts Council of Wales Create grant, PWSH has created new murals with artists in Cardiff.
Five new public artworks have been installed in Aubergine Cafe, Womanby Street, Cardiff Indoor Market and a non-public mural at Llanishen High School. The new PWSH artists were co-curated by Artistic Director Rachel Kinchin alongside the previous PWSH cohort. The longlist was made up of artists who had been in touch with PWSH as well as suggestions from previous artists.
Matt Joyce has created a mural on Womanby Street (back of Bar Revolution) which is themed around losing yourself in nature, a love of plants, exploring, adventure and fun. Matt is a freelance illustrator based in Cardiff and Matt's illustrations mix bold lines and bright colours with humour and a playful aesthetic.
Sahar Saki has been represententing her work in the form of mural art for the past couple of years in public places, and last year, ran a mural festival to amplify the feminist movement in Iran. Her PWSH mural is a Persian pattern design inspired by old Persian rugs in contemporary bold colours. It is upstairs in Cardiff Indoor Market.
Regan Creates is a multidisciplinary artist based in Cardiff. Her art embraces the playful, youthful spirit that resides within us all. The ‘Dream Bigger’ piece she created for PWSH is upstairs in Cardiff Indoor Market and centres around a young boy wielding a slingshot, evoking memories of a time when dreams knew no limits. Regan sheds light on the challenges faced by marginalised communities, reminding us of the significance of acknowledging and celebrating diversity.
Hunk Williams is a Queer Welsh artist and absurdist whose work explores themes of pop culture and counterculture. Owing to his complex relationship with growing up queer and autistic in The Valleys, his work harks back to kitschy and campy icons of the past and often uses satire as it invites the observer to consider "But what does it all mean, like?" Hunk's PWSH mural is at Aubergine Cafe and is an ode to long struggles now overcome, solidarity, freedom and good luck.
Ren Wolfe is an early career, Cardiff based, multi-disciplinary artist whose practice explores how we can use play and imagination to understand ourselves, our communities, and the world around us. Ren’s piece for PWSH explores masking, imagination, and the relationship between the diversity in both the natural world and the human world. Ren’s mural is in Aubergine Cafe.
Aubergine Cafe plans to re-open at their new home in Cathays Community Centre on Wednesday 16 August - keep your eye on their socials for confirmation of opening dates and times.
Alongside installing the new artwork, PWSH worked with two Deaf A-Level Art and Photography students who approached PWSH via Hear We Are about doing work experience. Hamzah Ahmed and Maisarah Bodor are the two students who supported PWSH artists and the creative team to install the artworks all week as well as learning about project management and curation. Matt Joyce also worked with artist Nikolett Kovacs to create a mural with the young people who are students at the Hearing Impaired Resource Base at Llanishen High School.
PWSH aims to celebrate difference, contribute to change and re-imagine public spaces - and centre inclusion whilst creating safe spaces for artists and creatives. PWSH is an ever-evolving public art project that first came to life in Cardiff City Centre in August 2021 - and has now worked with 15 local artists.
“I created PWSH to enable more paid opportunities and create inclusive and safe spaces for artists to make public-facing work that is not just about visibility. PWSH is all about meaningful inclusion. I wanted to create artwork that contributes to the fabric of our city, whether that be large walls or nooks and crannies. Co-curating with the previous PWSH artists feels like a collaborative and meaningful way of working to include and pay our previous PWSH artists whilst also having the opportunity to engage more artists.
Partnering with the right sites is vital - we need partners who appreciate that artists and creatives need to get paid for their work, who will create an authentic project with us and care for the artwork. PWSH is not about branding or artists responding to a brief - it is about them doing what they love and getting paid for it. We sign off every artwork with our sites - it is important that they love it.
If you’d like to be involved in the future, people can get in touch with via the PWSH website if you have budget for us to create work that sits alongside our ethos or if you would like to be included in a future funding bid. I have big plans for PWSH in 2024 which extends beyond murals and into arts and wellness in public spaces.” Rachel Kinchin, Artistic Director.
"Womanby Street has always been home to vibrant art in Cardiff. When I saw all the great work the PWSH team had done with previous installations, I knew our big empty back gate at Revolution was crying out to have some amazing art on it too! Big thank you to Rachel Kinchin and Matt Joyce for making it all happen!" Matt Drew, Bar Revolution Cardiff.
“We’re just in love with Ren’s and Reg’s work. Their murals have made the new place feel like home before we’re even finished unpacking. We were sad to have to leave behind our big Aubergine mural at the old premises on Clare Street so it’s been a great morale boost to see some new art going on the walls. Thank you so much Rachel, Ren and Reg.” - Aarwn Brown, Aubergine Cafe.
All of the PWSH non-permanent and non-public facing digital work can also be seen here https://www.pwshcardiff.co.uk/locations
Back in June 2023 PWSH was commissioned by Music Theatre Wales to create a new artwork in response to street art operas - The Scorched Earth Trilogy. Molly Sinclair-Thomson has created a new PWSH mural at Spit & Sawdust.
Molly said of her PWSH artwork, “I wanted to capture the struggle nature experiences due to humans taking advantage of the earth’s resources. The bright lights capturing the birds and disrupting wildlife. Humans venturing on land that belongs to other beings. Whilst the sun gets hotter and hotter, the trees turn to matches and the stars fall away. The bright colours pull you in but look closer to find the story.”
To find out more about all of the PWSH artists and projects to date, as well as take a look at the updated PWSH map - https://www.pwshcardiff.co.uk/artists
PWSH Photography - please credit Raquel Garcia, Rachel Kinchin (where appropriate) and PWSH.
PWSH would like to thank Aubergine Cafe, Cardiff Indoor Market, Bar Revolution and Llanishen High for providing safe spaces to create their work and to Arts Council Wales for the funding to make it happen.
Murluniau cyhoeddus newydd gan PWSH sy'n dathlu gwahaniaeth wedi'u creu ar gyfer haf 2023
Mae PWSH yn creu celf gyhoeddus radical a gorfoleddus yng Nghaerdydd sy’n dathlu gwahaniaeth ac yn ail-ddychmygu mannau cyhoeddus. Diolch i grant Creu gan Gyngor Celfyddydau Cymru, mae PWSH wedi creu murluniau newydd gydag artistiaid yng Nghaerdydd.
Mae pum gwaith celf cyhoeddus newydd wedi’u gosod yng Nghaffi Aubergine, Stryd Womanby, Marchnad Dan Do Caerdydd a murlun nad yw’n gyhoeddus yn Ysgol Uwchradd Llanisien. Cafodd artistiaid newydd PWSH eu curadu ar y cyd gan y Cyfarwyddwr Artistig Rachel Kinchin ochr yn ochr â charfan flaenorol PWSH. Roedd y rhestr hir yn cynnwys artistiaid a oedd wedi bod mewn cysylltiad â PWSH yn ogystal ag awgrymiadau gan artistiaid blaenorol.
Fe greodd Matt Joyce furlun ar Stryd Womanby (cefn Bar Revolution) ar themâu ymgolli ym myd natur, cariad at blanhigion, fforio, antur a hwyl. Darlunydd llawrydd sydd wedi’i leoli yng Nghaerdydd yw Matt ac mae ei ddarluniau yn cymysgu llinellau beiddgar a lliwiau llachar gyda hiwmor ac esthetig chwareus.
Mae Sahar Saki wedi bod yn cynrychioli ei gwaith ar ffurf gwaith celf murlun am yr ychydig flynyddoedd diwethaf mewn mannau cyhoeddus, a’r llynedd, fe gynhaliodd hi ŵyl furluniau er mwyn tynnu sylw at y mudiad ffeministaidd yn Iran. Mae ei murlun PWSH yn ddyluniad patrwm Persiaidd wedi’i ysbrydoli gan hen garpedi Persiaidd mewn lliwiau beiddgar cyfoes. Mae’r murlun i fyny'r grisiau ym Marchnad Dan Do Caerdydd.
Mae ei chelf yn croesawu'r ysbryd chwareus, ifanc sy'n byw ynom ni i gyd. Mae’r darn ‘Dream Bigger’ a greodd i PWSH i fyny’r grisiau ym Marchnad Dan Do Caerdydd ac mae’n troi o gwmpas bachgen ifanc yn trafod ffon dafl, gan ddwyn atgofion o amser pan nad oedd unrhyw gyfyngiadau ar freuddwydion. Mae’r artist hefyd yn taflu goleuni ar yr heriau a wynebir gan gymunedau ymylol, gan ein hatgoffa o arwyddocâd cydnabod a dathlu amrywiaeth.
Artist Cwiar ac abswrdydd o Gymru yw Hunk Williams y mae ei waith yn archwilio themâu diwylliant pop a gwrthddiwylliant. O ganlyniad i’w berthynas gymhleth gyda thyfu i fyny yn gwiar ac yn awtistig yn y Cymoedd, mae ei waith yn bwrw’n ôl i eiconau kitsch a camp o'r gorffennol ac yn aml yn defnyddio dychan wrth iddo wahodd y gwyliwr i ystyried "Ond beth mae'r cyfan yn ei olygu?". Mae murlun PWSH Hunk yn awdl i frwydrau hirfaith sydd bellach wedi'u goresgyn, undod, rhyddid a lwc dda.
Artist amlddisgyblaethol ar ddechrau ei gyrfa yw Ren Wolfe o Gaerdydd. Mae ei hymarfer yn archwilio sut y gallwn ddefnyddio chwarae a dychymyg i ddeall ni’n hunain, ein cymunedau, a'r byd o'n cwmpas. Mae darn Ren ar gyfer PWSH yn archwilio masgio, dychymyg, a’r berthynas rhwng amrywiaeth yn y byd naturiol a’r byd dynol hefyd. Mae murlun Ren yng Nghaffi Aubergine.
Bwriad Caffi Aubergine yw ailagor yn eu cartref newydd yng Nghanolfan Gymunedol Cathays ddydd Mercher 16 Awst - cadwch lygad ar eu cyfryngau cymdeithasol am gadarnhad o ddyddiadau ac amseroedd agor.
Ochr yn ochr â gosod y gwaith celf newydd, bu PWSH yn gweithio gyda dau fyfyriwr Byddar Safon Uwch Celf a Ffotograffiaeth a wnaeth cais i PWSH drwy Hear We Are ynghylch gwneud profiad gwaith. Hamzah Ahmed a Maisarah Bodor yw’r ddau fyfyriwr a gefnogodd artistiaid PWSH a’r tîm creadigol i osod y gweithiau celf drwy’r wythnos yn ogystal â dysgu am reoli prosiectau a churadu. Bu Matt Joyce hefyd yn gweithio gyda’r artist Nikolett Kovacs i greu murlun gyda’r bobl ifanc sy’n fyfyrwyr yn y Ganolfan Adnoddau ar gyfer Nam ar y Clyw yn Ysgol Uwchradd Llanisien.
Nod PWSH yw dathlu gwahaniaeth, cyfrannu at newid ac ail-ddychmygu mannau cyhoeddus - a chanolbwyntio ar gynhwysiant, tra’n creu mannau diogel i artistiaid a phobl greadigol. Mae PWSH yn brosiect celf gyhoeddus sy’n datblygu’n barhaus a ddaeth i’r amlwg gyntaf yng Nghanol Dinas Caerdydd ym mis Awst 2021 – a bellach mae wedi gweithio gyda 15 o artistiaid lleol.
“Es i ati i greu PWSH i alluogi mwy o gyfleoedd â thâl a chreu mannau cynhwysol a diogel i artistiaid wneud darnau gwaith cyhoeddus sy’n ymwneud â mwy na chael eu gweld yn unig. Mae PWSH yn ymwneud â chynhwysiant ystyrlon. Roeddwn i eisiau creu gwaith celf sy’n cyfrannu at wead ein dinas, boed hynny’n waliau mawr neu’n dyllau a chorneli. Mae cyd-guradu gydag artistiaid blaenorol PWSH yn teimlo fel ffordd gydweithredol ac ystyrlon o weithio er mwyn cynnwys a thalu ein hartistiaid PWSH blaenorol tra hefyd yn cael y cyfle i ymgysylltu â mwy o artistiaid.
Mae gweithio mewn partneriaeth â’r safleoedd iawn yn hanfodol – mae angen partneriaid arnom sy’n gwerthfawrogi bod angen i artistiaid a phobl greadigol gael eu talu am eu gwaith, a fydd yn creu prosiect dilys gyda ni ac yn gofalu am y gwaith celf. Nid yw PWSH yn ymwneud â brandio neu artistiaid sy’n ymateb i friff - mae'n ymwneud â’r artistiaid yn gwneud yr hyn y maen nhw wrth eu bodd yn ei wneud ac yn derbyn tâl amdano. Rydyn ni’n ceisio cymeradwyaeth ein safleoedd ar gyfer pob gwaith celf - mae'n bwysig eu bod yn dwlu arnynt.
Os hoffech chi gymryd rhan yn y dyfodol, gallwch gysylltu â ni drwy wefan PWSH os oes gennych chi gyllideb i ni greu gwaith sy’n cyd-fynd â’n hethos neu os hoffech chi gael eich cynnwys mewn cais am gyllid yn y dyfodol. Mae gen i gynlluniau mawr ar gyfer PWSH yn 2024 sy’n ymestyn y tu hwnt i furluniau ac i mewn i gelfyddyd a lles mewn mannau cyhoeddus.” Rachel Kinchin, Cyfarwyddwr Artistig.
"Mae Stryd Womanby bob amser wedi bod yn gartref i gelf fywiog yng Nghaerdydd. Pan welais yr holl waith gwych roedd tîm PWSH wedi'i wneud gyda gosodiadau blaenorol, roeddwn i'n gwybod bod ein hiet gefn fawr noeth yn Revolution yn galw allan am gael celf anhygoel arni hefyd! Diolch yn fawr i Rachel Kinchin a Matt Joyce am wneud i’r holl beth ddigwydd!" Matt Drew, Bar Revolution Caerdydd.
“Rydyn ni wrth ein bodd â gwaith Ren a Reg. Mae eu murluniau wedi gwneud i’r lle newydd deimlo fel cartref cyn i ni hyd yn oed orffen dadbacio. Roedden ni’n drist i orfod gadael ein murlun Aubergine mawr ar ôl yn yr hen adeilad ar Stryd Clare, felly mae wedi bod yn hwb mawr i forâl i weld celf newydd yn mynd ar y waliau. Diolch yn fawr iawn Rachel, Ren a Reg.” - Aarwn Brown, Caffi Aubergine.
Gellir gweld holl waith digidol PWSH nad yw’n barhaol ac nad yw ar gyfer y cyhoedd yma hefyd https://www.pwshcardiff.co.uk/locations
Nôl ym mis Mehefin 2023, comisiynwyd PWSH gan Music Theatre Wales i greu gwaith celf newydd mewn ymateb i operâu celf stryd - The Scorched Earth Trilogy. Mae Molly Sinclair-Thomson wedi creu murlun PWSH newydd yn Spit & Sawdust.
Meddai Molly am ei gwaith celf PWSH, “Roeddwn i eisiau cipio profiadau brwydrau byd natur oherwydd bod bodau dynol yn manteisio ar adnoddau’r ddaear. Y goleuadau llachar yn dal yr adar ac yn amharu ar fywyd gwyllt. Bodau dynol yn mentro ar dir sy'n perthyn i fodau eraill. Tra bo'r haul yn mynd yn boethach ac yn boethach, mae'r coed yn troi’n fatsis ac mae'r sêr yn pylu. Mae’r lliwiau llachar yn eich tynnu i mewn ond edrychwch yn agosach i ddod o hyd i’r stori.”
I ddysgu mwy am holl artistiaid a phrosiectau PWSH hyd yma, yn ogystal ag edrych ar fap PWSH sydd wedi'i ddiweddaru - https://www.pwshcardiff.co.uk/artists
Hoffai PWSH ddiolch i Gaffi Aubergine, Marchnad Dan Do Caerdydd, Bar Revolution ac Ysgol Uwchradd Llanisien am ddarparu mannau diogel i greu eu gwaith ac i Gyngor Celfyddydau Cymru am y cyllid i wneud iddo ddigwydd.
PWSH commissioned by Music Theatre Wales to create a new public mural at Spit & Sawdust to respond to the climate crisis
Saturday 17 June 2023
Music Theatre Wales recently presented The Scorched Earth Trilogy – three street art operas raising questions about Climate Change – at Spit & Sawdust in Cardiff. The three 10-minute operas were projected on the walls of the skatepark to demand climate change, and to shine a light on new and exciting ways to present opera, arts, and activism.
Alongside The Scorched Earth Trilogy, MTW also commissioned PWSH to create a new artwork in response to the street art operas. Molly Sinclair-Thomson has created a new PWSH mural at Spit & Sawdust.
The Scorched Earth Trilogy is opera as activism, projected on walls as street art. The short pieces make people laugh whilst also provoking you to demand change. Music Theatre Wales presented this series of three street art operas as a new way of asking people to reflect on the environmental disaster we are facing, and the lack of serious climate action. To create something longer-term alongside the operas, MTW commissioned PWSH to work with an artist to create a mural to provoke and continue the conversation about climate change. Molly Sinclair-Thomson said of her artwork,
“I wanted to capture the struggle nature experiences due to humans taking advantage of the earth’s resources. The bright lights capturing the birds and disrupting wildlife. Humans venturing on land that belongs to other beings. Whilst the sun gets hotter and hotter, the trees turn to matches and the stars fall away. The bright colours pull you in but look closer to find the story.”
Molly Sinclair-Thomson is a Welsh artist in Cardiff who predominantly creates bespoke canvas paintings and printable goods, she enjoys making pieces of art that are dreamlike surreal states, with vibrant colours and shapes. Using paint as her way of communicating with the use of symbolism and colour, she also enjoys bringing abstract worlds to life. Painting people and animals, attempting to provoke thought and create an atmosphere for play and connection.
PWSH + WELSH WOMEN'S AID
PWSH + WELSH WOMEN'S AID
PWSH + Welsh WOMEN’S AID 2022.
NEWS
08.12.22
Welsh Women’s Aid unveils survivor-inspired art collaboration with PWSH during 16 Days of Activism
During the international 16 Days of Activism to Eliminate Violence Against Women, Welsh Women’s Aid and Cardiff-based public art project PWSH have unveiled an exciting art project to visualise the stories of women in Wales who have experienced sexual harassment.
Working with artists Ophelia Dos Santos and Elena Gherghe, the collaboration has created three pieces of art using the anonymous testimonies of hundreds of women in Wales and their experiences of harassment, abuse and the process of overcoming trauma when male violence is routinely minimised or excused as ‘banter’.
The artworks are being unveiled by Welsh Women’s Aid and PWSH at an event for youth activists in Cardiff on Saturday 6th December at 11.30am.
Charlotte Archibald of Welsh Women’s Aid, said: “This collaboration is the first of its kind for Welsh Women’s Aid and represents a different, engaging way we can anonymously platform survivor voices and experiences, using the guidance and experience of PWSH and the visual talents of two brilliant Wales-based artists.”
Rachel Kinchin, Artistic Director of PWSH, said: “PWSH was created in order to celebrate difference, re-imagining public spaces and centre the wellness and care of artists and creatives. We want to contribute to social change, create artwork that amplifies the voices of others - especially those who are marginalised. When Welsh Women’s Aid approached PWSH about creating artwork to visualise the stories of women, we felt very strongly we wanted to support this and collaborate. We hope to find a more permanent home for the pieces after we reveal them on Saturday.”
Using reclaimed textiles and embroidery, artist and climate activist Ophelia Dos Santos created ‘A Warm Embrace’; a patchwork quilt-inspired artwork that represents the various experiences of harassment and abuse that are interwoven with everyday experiences to create a complex ‘patchwork’ of life. The blanket also represents the physical feeling of ‘a warm hug’ and the safety and security that can be achieved after a traumatic experience through the support and understanding of other women; of supportive friends and family.
Mixed-multimedia artist Elena Gherghe created two pieces of art using canvas and acrylics. The first is entitled ‘Touch of Gold/Kintsugi’, which pictures a porcelain doll within a dolls house, surrounded by written testimony shared by women who have been sexually harassed. The doll is cracked in numerous places, but she has pieced herself back together using a technique similar to Japanese Kintsugi, where breaks in expensive porcelain is mended using gold. There is immense beauty in these ‘imperfections’ and the end result is often more beautiful than before the cracks and the breaks. This represents the process of healing from trauma and how these experiences shape women thereafter.
Elena’s second piece is entitled ‘Chasing Sun’ and depicts a woman standing in a field of sunflowers. Each flower is facing the light wearing a face-like mask. As sunflowers have the capacity of moving their heads to face the light, this represents survivors’ who, despite their experiences and regardless of their environment, can look for ‘the light’ to begin to heal from what they have been through. The masks represent the survivor experience of sometimes feeling the pressure to ‘put on a brave face’, in spite of their lived experiences. Sunflowers are resilient and determined in their mission to find the sunlight, but they are not impervious to trauma and have an intense vulnerability too.
The art collaboration is part of Welsh Women’s Aid’s campaign to end sexual harassment in Wales, called ‘No Grey Area’. 4 in 5 women in Wales have experienced sexual harassment at work. The figure is higher for women of colour, for disabled women and for LGBTQ+ women. Hundreds of women across Wales shared their experiences as part of the campaign and they reported the frustration they felt when hurtful, traumatic experiences were trivialised as ‘jokes’ or ‘laddish behaviour’.
If you would like to see the artworks on public display, please register for the event on the 6th December by clicking here.
5.12.22
PWSH and Women’s Aid
Here’s a sneak peek of something exciting we’ve been working on.
@pwshcdf have created something a little different this time; we always said we wanted to contribute to social change, be an ally to people, communities and subjects we care about and amplify the voices of others; especially people who are marginalised and vulnerable.
During #16DaysofActivism we are unveiling three special pieces of artwork, commissioned by @welshwomensaid.
We commissioned and collaborated with two artists @elena.g.illustration @opheliadossantos to create allyship pieces and to amplify the voices of survivors.
Working with hundreds of women and listening to their accounts, the artworks by Ophelia and Elena act as a visual representation of the lived experiences of sexual harassment and the process of overcoming trauma when male violence is minimised and excused as ‘male banter’.
Come and see them for yourself! The artworks will be unveiled at a special event to mark #16DaysofActivism on 10th December 2022 in Cardiff. Register to attend the event, for free.
THE RETURN OF PWSH - missing artwork re-imagined!
Cardiff street art lovers will remember the sad news from last October 2021, when an administration error led to the removal of several murals from the columns behind the city centre’s old Debenhams site.
Beth Blandford (Blandoodles) Temeka Davies (Noble Sol) and Amber Forde (BeanHead), the artists whose work was removed, have re-created and re-imagined their artwork in spaces within The Capitol Shopping Centre. People will recognise the spirit of the previous artwork and will get some new surprises too. Check out all of the PWSH sites on our MAP.
The installation, which was again commissioned by FOR Cardiff, took place in April and is now complete. The lead artists were supported by a small team of freelance creatives and young people from the ACT training programme who were also supported to create their own artwork throughout the week. During this time, Capitol gave PWSH the go-ahead to create a new piece of artwork on an empty shop. This was realised by Marcus Smith (whose PWSH work you can also see on Metro’s) who took inspiration from ACT students to create the final shop design.
FOR Cardiff Executive Director Adrian Field said, ‘We’re thrilled to have re-commissioned the PWSH street art project and to see it come to life now in the Capitol Centre. Working with such an array of talented local artists has been, and continues to be a pleasure. PWSH is just one of many arts and culture initiatives we will fund and deliver over the coming years as we progress with our plans to centre culture in city centre life’.
The PWSH project was created to enable visual artists with a Cardiff connection to decorate their city centre with artwork that celebrates and represents a breadth of local creative talent and diversity - on large public canvasses. PWSH is an ongoing and ever-evolving project, with long-term artwork on show within the city.
PWSH Creator Rachel Kinchin added, ‘We were blown away by people’s incredible reaction to our project. Many commented that the artwork has brought joy to their day, improved their mental health and encouraged them to explore their own creativity again. When we lost the ‘Minsky’s Pillars’ artwork, we were all devastated - but the public reaction was so supportive that we knew we had to re-create these pieces by Beth, Amber and Temeka in some way, shape or form - and we are so proud of what we have created - it's not easy finding the right spaces within the city centre and the artists and our team have done an incredible job. Alongside re-imagining these pieces at The Capitol - we have some exciting and meaningful collaborations and partnerships coming up and we’re applying for funding to continue to bring PWSH to the people and ensure artists and creatives can continue to make work that inspires people and is joyful, whilst also being paid fairly for their ideas and creativity.’
Temeka Davies said, “I love how each time I work with PWSH they push (ha!) me to grow and push for themselves to grow too. This time creating the artwork was different in so many ways, as I already had some experience and knew what public art and my art meant to the public. Also, getting to meet the young adults of ACT and teaching them to work on self-portraits and identity was another amazing experience for me as an artist.”
Catering learner Caitlin Boyce, 17, from Cardiff, said, ‘After lockdown, this creative project is really good, to bring people together, to do something interesting.
“I prefer pictures that have messages, so obviously this one has a message to it. It’s really good that it’s about bringing people together, from different cultures.
“From this project, I hope to get experience of freehand painting, as I’m interested in this type of street art. I’ve done my own paintings in art books, but never anything like this.”
Katie Schaffer, Enrichment Manager at ACT, added: “ACT have been really excited to join the PWSH! project at the Capitol Centre in Cardiff to create some amazing art, working with Welsh artists. Our learners have had the opportunity to work with a variety of different people, to explore their creative side and produce work that will be proudly displayed in the Capitol. Thank you to all people involved in providing this opportunity to enrich our learners' programmes.”
For full information on the project and where to explore the artworks, please visit pwshcardiff.co.uk
If you’re an artist, organisation or you have an empty wall and you’d like to work with PWSH in the future, please get in touch pwshcardiff@gmail.com
PWSH – Callout for city centre sites for our spring artwork!
PWSH is looking for long-term or permanent city centre sites to install artwork in spring 2022.
PWSH is a pilot street art project in Cardiff City Centre, that first came to life in August 2021 and was funded by FOR CARDIFF. Over 10 days, armed with paintbrushes and posca pens, the PWSH artists and creatives breathed new life into corners of the city centre and made you smile with their vibrant ideas.
Heart-breakingly… PWSH lost three artworks due to a miscommunication with the cleansing team. We’re now on a mission to find safe spaces for the three artists Beth Blandford (Blandoodles), Temeka Davies (Noble Sol) and Amber Ford (Beanhead) who lost their work, to re-imagine their artworks in new and safe spaces. We’re looking for sites of all sorts of shapes and sizes for these pieces and for other artists to create new work for PWSH spring 2022.
PWSH was created to enable Cardiff born and Cardiff-based emerging and established visual artists to decorate their city centre with artwork that celebrates and represents a breadth of local creative talent and brings more vibrant art into public spaces.
PWSH are currently actively seeking further funding for the future of the project and are having exciting conversations with potential creative collaborators. Creatives and artists used this inaugural year to explore and celebrate Cardiff city centre coming back to life after the first lockdowns. With accessibility, diversity, and inclusivity at the heart of the project and at the heart of each design, the plan is to grow this pilot project year on year.
We will also be looking for sites outside of the city centre for other installations in spring, so we’d love to hear from you too!
Please get in touch if you own/lease a site/wall/building that you have permission to turn into a piece of art. The closing date for expressions of interest to be involved in the next PWSH is Thursday 4 February 2022. Contact Rachel pwshcardiff@gmail.com for more information.
PWSH - ‘lost pillars’ update…
As you will all remember, almost three weeks ago - a devastating accidental error occurred when the PWSH artworks created by artists Beth Blandford, Amber Forde and Temeka Davies were removed from the columns by Minsky’s in the city centre. Since then, our founder and creative director Rachel Kinchin has been in conversations with Beth, Amber and Temeka and with FOR Cardiff and we have agreed that FOR Cardiff will fully fund the artists to create three new pieces of art in new locations in Cardiff city centre in spring 2022.
Adrian Field of FOR Cardiff commented, “FOR Cardiff want to again send their heartfelt apologies to the enormously talented Beth, Amber and Temeka but are looking forward to once again seeing more of their beautiful creations in the city centre.”
Rachel Kinchin added, “As well as this new funding commitment we have received from FOR Cardiff to work with Temeka, Amber and Beth for them to create new artwork in a safer space… we are continuing to seek further funding to expand PWSH to more corners of the city, to work with more artists and to reach more people. I’d like to send my love to the artists for the way in which they have dealt with this challenge, and extend thanks from all of us to everyone who has reached out to send us messages of hope and support. We all continue to be optimistic and excited about the future of public art in Cardiff.”
We look forward to keeping you updated… BIG LOVE, PWSH.
Gutted.
Friends. This is a dark first blog post for us to be publishing. We are absolutely devastated that our artwork at the back of the old Debenhams was removed yesterday morning (Thursday 14 October). We are not sure why or how this has happened, but we’re trying to get to the bottom of it and we will keep you all updated when we know more. Apparently, there has been some sort of city centre cleansing team ‘miscommunication’. That area is now a complete mess again (with our artwork literally washed off and now all over the floor) - and we are heartbroken.
So much love goes out to Beth, Amber and Temeka whose artwork has been destroyed and erased. They are gutted. We are gutted. We are gutted for the people of Cardiff who have shown so much love for this project. We are gutted for our city which has so much potential to fill itself to the brim with all of the creativity its inhabitants have to offer. People have shared with us that they would have liked to have seen ALL of the columns transformed with our artwork in this otherwise very unloved corner of our city-centre - people did not want the artists’ beautiful artwork removed from them. That is 11 columns of artwork wiped from the creative landscape of our city centre. We were already on the case putting together plans to continue this project with more funding, more artists and more sites. First and foremost, we’ll now be on a mission to find safe sites and find more funding for Beth, Amber and Temeka to create new and permanent artwork, in a new home/s.
We won’t post photos here of the empty sites… It is far too depressing. Please do send some love to the artists by re-sharing your photos with us on Instagram. We’ll be adding a new section to the website next week celebrating the joyful 10 weeks that the lush PWSH Minsky’s columns existed.
Love and thanks to all of you who have been in touch with words of support.
