Ceinwen Birrell, (they/them), MFA, MA.

Glasgow, 1981.

My work weaves together my ordinary, daily experiences with surreal, other-worldly ideas, incorporating aspects of dreamtime and folklore. I immerse myself in the complex and multifaceted meanings that are intertwined in these stories and experiences and my interest is reflected in my paintings. My paintings seems to hold a quality of sadness or loss that sits in dichotomy to their humour; from which I hope to express something of the dualities that one experiences in life. The light and the dark, natural and synthetic, nurture and ecocide,

I am interested in sacred rituals, spiritual ecology, myths and folklore, particularly that of the Celtic regions. My fascinated is in how such stories hold knowledge of the human condition and our connection to nature and spirit. The tradition of myth and folklore is fluid and one of adaption and growth; such stories evolved with their environments and the societies that spoke them. My hope is for the tangled stories that are layered into my work, too intermingle with the viewers’ unconscious and that from this ‘third space’, new stories can be formed.

Exhibitions | Events | Publications

2023 | The View Gallery | Bristol

2023 | The Other Art Fair | London

2021 | ‘Yellowed Blossoms’ published on the cover of the ‘International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape

2021 | Bristol Artist’s Collaborative - D-Unit Gallery | Bristol

2019 | Examined Expressions - Lansdown Gallery | Stroud

2018 | Grow - The Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre | Newport

2017 | Attachment - Barnabas Arts House | Newport

2010 | Ceinwen & Star - The Emporium Gallery | Bristol

2010 | Center Space Gallery | Bristol

2009 | Bath Spa University | Bath

2008 | Pop Up Exhibition - Lansdown Road | Bath

2005-2010 | TAA Random Artists Annual Exhibition | London, Brighton & Bristol

2005 | Royal West of England Academy | Bristol