Amy Grimble

BA (Hons) Illustration

The light emerging through the cracks, the beauty of the broken, the discarded living up to a new potential. This project aims to illustrate the story of re-birth, and the possibility of the end bringing a fresh, new beginning into life. This collection of work became an opportunity to explore and cope with the personal loss of a family member, and discover how something negative can be used to fuel a show of beauty, in memory and in an educational form, understanding grief and the possibility of an afterlife. Exploring the use of paper folding techniques, the re-birth of old/discarded work into new 3-dimensional forms displays a new life after what could have been the end for the 2-dimensional work it was formed from. Inspired by the story of ‘The Secret of the Dragonfly’, this work is aiming to give hope to those grieving, whilst also supplying an immersive escapism area, where the broken is free to fly. This project paved the way for an exploration across a wide range of multi-disciplinary art techniques, pulling apart 2-dimensional forms in order to change its dimensional value.

This response shows the delicacy, but also the poignancy of life and judgement, how one may see the end or the break of something, another may notice a growing potential. The urchins representing fragility alongside the fearful self defence of the wall of spikes, but also the inevitable break down/ decay of this wall, showing that beneath the surface, we are all one and the same.


Y golau’n disgleirio drwy’r craciau, harddwch y drylliedig, yr hyn a daflwyd yn cyflawni potensial newydd. Nod y prosiect yw darlunio stori ailenedigaeth, a’r posibilrwydd bod y diwedd yn dod â dechrau newydd, ffres i fywyd. Daeth y casgliad hwn o waith yn gyfle i archwilio ac ymdopi â cholli aelod o’r teulu, a darganfod sut y gellir defnyddio rhywbeth negyddol i ddangos harddwch, er cof ac ar ffurf addysgiadol, deall galar a’r posibilrwydd o fywyd ar ôl marwolaeth. Trwy archwilio’r defnydd o dechnegau plygu papur, mae ail-eni hen waith/gwaith a daflwyd yn ffurfiau 3-dimensiwn newydd yn arddangos bywyd newydd ar ôl diwedd posibl i’r gwaith 2-ddimensiwn gwreiddiol. Wedi’i ysbrydoli gan stori ‘The Secret of the Dragonfly’ mae’r gwaith hwn yn ceisio rhoi gobaith i’r rhai sy’n galaru, gan ddarparu ardal ddianc i ymgolli ynddi, lle mae’r drylliedig yn rhydd i hedfan. Roedd y prosiect hwn yn paratoi’r ffordd ar gyfer archwiliad ar draws ystod eang o dechnegau celf amlddisgyblaeth, a oedd yn tynnu ffurfiau 2-ddimensiwn yn ddarnau er mwyn newid eu gwerth dimensiynol.

Mae’r ymateb hwn yn dangos breuder a dwyster bywyd a barn, sut y gall un person weld rhywbeth fel diwedd neu doriad, tra bod rhywun arall yn sylwi ar botensial cynyddol. Mae’r cryts yn cynrychioli breuder ochr yn ochr â hunanamddiffyniad ofnus y wal o bigau, a chwalfa/pydredd anochel y wal hon, yn dangos ein bod ni gyd yn un a’r un fath o dan yr wyneb.

Other Exhibitors:

Imogen Miles

Imogen Miles

My current project looks into the story of St Dwynwen, a Welsh princess who became a saint- the welsh patron St of Lovers. She is celebrated throughout wales on the 25th of January. I was interested in this story after hearing about St Dwynwens day and doing some...

Katie Andrews

Katie Andrews

Reconnecting and rebuilding our relationship with the natural world is as vital as ever. My illustration practice focuses on creating educational and decorative patterned homeware and giftware products which will inspire people to become more in sync and appreciative...

Monika Jutrzenka Trzebiatowska

Monika Jutrzenka Trzebiatowska

My project is a response to a brief inspired by the Apila’s First Printing Award 2022. The aim was to create a fully illustrated children’s book based on a story of my choice – ‘The Frog Princess’ by A. J. Gliński. I wanted to combine the Polish culture with my...

Ellen Richards

Ellen Richards

As ân artist, I am particularly interested in creating work which explores subjects which are tailored to a certain demographic. The topics are relevant and meaningful to a specific individual, whether it be something they have experienced in their past or are...

Polly Allburn

Polly Allburn

My illustration work has culminated in an experimental assortment of objects that communicate the interconnected relationship between parent and child. Breaking down the power dynamic and allowing for a collaborative experience where parents can empathise with their...

Thalia Dougourou

Thalia Dougourou

Using both visual and lexical storytelling, I explore African history and culture while investigating its absence in the learning of young black students. Growing up in the UK, I became aware that the black history being taught in schools did not go beyond slavery,...