Eisteddfod T Art and Design Prize winner reveals how Welsh slate inspires her work

The winner of this year’s Eisteddfod T Art and Design Prize has revealed how Welsh slate inspires her work.

Rhiannon Gwyn from Sling, near Bethesda, said being brought up surrounded by the slate quarrying area of Sling near Bethesda strongly influences her creative designs.

She graduated in 2019 with a first-class Artist Designer: Maker degree from Cardiff’s School of Art and Design, following a year on the ‘Inc Space’ programme for Cardiff Metropolitan University Graduates.

She said: “My work explores a sense of place and the notion of having a strong connection with the landscape.

“I mostly work with slate to create a narrative that reflects my feeling of identity by exploring the connections between myself and the landscape of my home in North Wales.

“This includes exploring the full potential of slate by incorporating them with ceramic processes to create objects that portray forms of the land.”

‘High standard’ 

According to the judge, Lisa Eurgain Taylor, 25 young artists entered this year, and she was “shocked” by the high standard of the work submitted.

“I thoroughly enjoyed going through the entries,” said Lisa Eurgain Taylor. “I love Rhiannon’s work and the ideas behind her ceramic work… I can really feel her passion for north Wales, and she perfectly portrays Snowdonia in her work.”

As Eisteddfod T Art and Design Prize Winner, she will receive a specially created trophy by sculptor Ann Catrin Evans.

Alys Gwynedd, a pupil at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf, Cardiff, came in second place in the competition, while Kelsey Brooks who is currently studying at Gower College Swansea in third.

All results to date can be found on the website s4c.cymru/urdd