DOWNSTAIRS AT THE CHAPEL, MARKET STREET

Exhibition opening on Saturday 13 May 3-4pm. 

Celebrating the solace and magic of the Marches landscape, history and culture.

The Mappa Marches project brings together 4 artists an aerial film-maker. Based in the Marches counties, Herefordshire and Shropshire (on the border with South Wales), their mission is to share creativity across the region. This is a touring exhibition to include an artist led workshop with Adrienne Craddock.

 

ADRIENNE CRADDOCK – ‘I was lucky both to be born and brought up in the beautiful Herefordshire Countryside, a feral child with the riverside to explore. Life’s journey took me to experience the drama of city life in Manchester, where I studied printmaking and gained different insights.  Back on home turf, my eyes are reopened to the contrasts and uniqueness of this rural borderland. I now make prints that explore and celebrate my local landscape – awash with colour – to capture its evolving energy and forms. Monoprints made with brush and rollers, layers of ink, drawn into, scraped and overprinted.’

SHELLIE BYATT – ‘I’ve been a practising artist since graduating from Goldsmiths, University of London. Leaving the hectic life in the capital, I’ve lived in peaceful Herefordshire now for over 20 years and love this wonderful gem of a place. I work primarily with my own decorated and cut paper. I also draw and paint to continue the art of ‘seeing anew’. My work is mainly narrative – stories taken from my own heart and mind – and I love to let my creations lead the way. I’m intrigued by medieval imagery, like that found in the Mappa Mundi. I’m especially drawn to the strange creatures that inhabit the white space in illuminated manuscripts: they’re a real inspiration! My work aims to prompt the viewer to revisit their own memories and narratives, and create new ones… every life is full of fascinating secrets and stories.’

DAVID ENGLAND – ‘Born in the Black Country, I moved further West in my late teens – migrating southwards from Shropshire to Herefordshire. The Marches have been home for the past thirty-odd years of my life, and are a boundless source of inspiration. The Marches have a broad stroke of ancient history painted across them and I want to explore those roots and influences, but with my feet firmly planted in the present. Most of my practice involves carving stone. The Forest of Dean has many wonderful qualities for outdoor work and Ancaster is my favourite for indoor pieces.’

HELEN ARTHUR – ‘What a privilege to live in this magical part of the world – perched on the border between England and Wales, (which sums up my mixed heritage perfectly). There’s a kind of wild light where I live and work – here in the Brecon Beacons. This impacts creativity in an inescapable way. The paintings aim to communicate atmosphere and impact above the reality of the scene. Every layer of paint and each bold brushstroke or detailed mark invites you to reconnect with how you feel, fully immersed in nature.’

All work is available to buy through Collectorplan from the Arts Council of Wales. This is an interest free credit scheme for the purchase of original, contemporary artwork.