Antonella Francesca Chiappa

BA (Hons) Fine Art


My current interest is in religious art, particularly that which depicts women. As a Welsh woman with an Italian heritage I have observed the prominent role Catholicism plays in both cultures and the way women are treated historically and presently by the Church.

My work discusses the image of the goddess and her many different qualities, connotations and symbols. Through studying the origins of goddess worship in the Paleolithic, I examine our preconceptions of the goddess and the links she has with sexuality and religion. The lack of imagery of God as female in Christianity, despite being referred to as genderless or even female in religious texts, has also interested me and my work aims to fill this void.

My shrines are self portraits and discuss some of my own attitudes towards sex and faith, but not as two separate entities as we are often taught. I am also interested in the tradition of portraiture, particularly that pertaining to the renaissance, but also strive to appropriate these antiquated skills and incorporate them in my practice in alternative ways. By making shrines dedicated to female religious figures I intend to bring veneration to those who have been widely disregarded and besmirched in Western religions up until this point.


Ar hyn o bryd rwyf yn ymddiddori mewn celfyddyd grefyddol, yn enwedig yr hyn sy’n portreadu menywod. Gan fy mod yn Gymraes o gefndir Eidalaidd, rwyf wedi gweld pa mor bwysig yw Catholigiaeth yn y ddau ddiwylliant a’r ffordd o drin menywod gan yr Eglwys heddiw ac yn y gorffennol.

Mae fy ngwaith yn trafod delwedd y dduwies a’i hamryfal nodweddion, arwyddocaon a symbolau. Drwy astudio tarddiadau addoli duwiesau yn yr Oes Baleolithig, byddaf yn archwilio ein rhagdybiaethau ynglŷn â’r dduwies a’i chysylltiadau â rhywioldeb a chrefydd. Mae’r ffaith nad oes delweddau benywaidd i gynrychioli Duw i’w gweld mewn Cristnogaeth, er y cyfeirir at Dduw fel un sydd heb rywedd neu sydd heb fod yn fenyw mewn testunau crefyddol, wedi fy niddori a bwriad fy ngwaith yw ceisio llenwi’r bwlch hwn.

Mae fy nghysegrau yn hunan-bortreadau ac maen nhw’n trafod rhai o’m hagweddau i fy hunan at ryw a ffydd ond nid fel dau beth ar wahân fel y cawn ein dysgu yn aml. Hefyd rwy’n ymddiddori yn nhraddodiad portreadaeth, yn enwedig yr un sy’n gysylltiedig â’r Dadeni, ond hefyd rwyf yn ceisio priodoli’r sgiliau hynafol hyn a’u defnyddio yn fy ymarfer mewn ffyrdd amgen. Drwy wneud cysegrau sydd wedi’u cysegru i ffigurau crefyddol sy’n fenywod, rwy’n bwriadu sicrhau parch i’r rheiny sydd wedi’u hanwybyddu a’u pardduo i raddau helaeth mewn crefyddau yn y Gorllewin hyd yn hyn.

Other Exhibitors:

Caitlyn Laye

Caitlyn Laye

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Chloe Winder

Chloe Winder

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Rebecca Jones

Rebecca Jones

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Rachel Verner

Rachel Verner

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India Beaudro

India Beaudro

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Katie Berry

Katie Berry

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