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artist statement

Nostalgia and reflection are recurring themes throughout my practice. Whether through stream-of-consciousness text or a childlike, vibrant colour palette, I aim to create immersive experiences that invite viewers to interpret the work through the lens of their own memories and emotions.

Earlier works are grounded in explorations of grief and memory, conveyed through a diverse mix of media including abstract painting, drawing, textiles, and poetry. Informed by memory as a visual reference, these works blend text with abstract and figurative elements, building textured, contemplative compositions that occupy a space between the intangible and the familiar. My process is intuitive and emotionally driven—a means of working through difficult experiences, transforming them into something luminous and hopeful on canvas.

While initial works centred on specific spaces connected to personal loss, recent pieces have shifted toward a more fluid and open-ended approach. Some develop meaning retrospectively, while others draw inspiration from external sources such as music, film, or fleeting moments in my surroundings. My practice is currently in a state of transition—moving away from darker themes of grief and navigating toward a new direction, still grounded in emotional resonance but open to broader exploration.

education and work

2017-2018: Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, Llandrillo College

2018-2021: BA (Hons) Fine Art and Art History, Manchester School of Art

2021-2022: Executive Assistant, Cotton On MCR

2022: Writing Assistant, Artzu Gallery

2021-2023: Catering, Events and Visitor Assistant, Manchester Art Gallery

2023: Arts Administrator, Manchester Poetry Library

exhibitions

March 2025 Feature in Process Jam exhibition at Merseyway Workshop, Stockport

 

July 2024 Solo exhibition So I Don't Forget in the Art Space at Cass Art Manchester

February-April 2024 Featured work in the Manchester HOME Open exhibition

February 2024 Featured piece in AFOS By The Sea exhibition in Saan1, Manchester

January 2024 Featured work in Abstraction exhibition at Neighbourhood Gallery in Sale

May 2023 Featured work in the Art After Loss exhibition at Inch Arts, Altrincham

Dec 2022-Feb 2023 Featured work in Blah Open exhibition at Cafe Blah, Manchester       

November 2022 Solo feature in the Alan Hotel lobby projector display

November 2022 Featured work in the Art for Our Sakes exhibition in Northern Lights Home, Ancoats, Manchester

October 2022 Featured work in the Art for Our Sakes exhibition at Feel Good Club, Manchester

July 2022 Featured in Cotton On MCR Art With Affinity Exhibition at Affinity Living, Salford

January 2022 Manchester School of Art Degree Show Exhibition

December 2021-  Permanent solo residency at Caffeina Coffi in Prestatyn, Wales

November 2021 Featured work in the Art for Our Sakes exhibition in Pot Kettle Black, Manchester

October 2021 Featured work in the Art for Our Sakes exhibition in Pot Kettle Black, Manchester

August 2021 Featured in work at Rogue Studios Manchester as part of Short Supply MCR’s Made It! 2021 exhibition

June 2021 Manchester School of Art All Eyes on You online degree showcase

May 2021 A Place to Grieve virtual exhibition

June 2020 Online exhibition for Unit X titled Language Zine: Material Meaning

curation

September 2023 Co-curated and exhibited in TROJAN at Islington Mill, Salford 

July 2023 Co-curated and project managed the NHS Untold Stories Exhibition at Manchester Poetry Library

March 2023 Curated and featured work at Exhibition Bar, Manchester as part of their International Women's Day display

October 2022 Curated online exhibition of Forget Me Not as part of the AHRC-funded Celebrations project

September 2021 Curated virtual exhibition for annual Welsh festival Gwyl Newydd  2021

August 2021 Co-curated and featured in group exhibition July is Over and There is Very Little Trace at Aatma, Manchester

April 2021 Assisted with curation and featured in Cotton on MCR In Manchester exhibition at Saul Hay Gallery, Manchester

Oct 2019 Three Peaks Arts Trail 10-day artist residency in Horton in Ribblesdale, North Yorkshire. Involved curating two exhibitions and exhibiting own work

May 2019 Co-curated and featured in Unit X Exhibition Substance at Fairfield Social Club, Manchester

awards, features and project

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May 2025 Artist in residence at Studio Faire, Nerac, France

 

November 2024 Participated in the Merseyway Workshop Process Jam project in Stockport 

July 2024 Book cover design for debut poetry book, Cariad Yw by Casi Wyn

 

May 2024 Feature in the Gweithredu (Activism) issue of the Codi Pais zine 

 

July 2021 Feature in the TSDAP (The Social Distance Art Project) New Graduates catalogue and online exhibition hosted by Artsy

August 2020 Online Zoom panel about Welsh text in art titled Geiriau fel Celf  (Words as Art) as part of annual Welsh festival Gwyl Newydd

June 2018 Won the Llandrillo College Creative Arts Award

© 2024 Rhianwen Williams

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