Bethan Lowri Hughes Jones

BA (Hons) Artist Designer Maker

Gwyllt y Ddaear

This collection is a combination of commercial and hand-sourced materials; combined to improve the sustainability of my collection. Made from commercial terracotta, which I reclaimed, the main glaze ingredient was wild clay from Traeth Aberlleiniog, close to my home in North Wales. Where small cliffs along the seashore slowly collapse into the rocky beach and roosting Sand Martins burrow into the soft surface of the cliff-face. At the foot of the cliffs, I found mounds of clay which I took a bucket of back home to process.

I have adopted hand-sourcing as a creative exercise to strengthen my understanding and connection to the environment. The commercial material supply chain lacks the transparency to show the effects of raw material overconsumption. When I visited the disused copper mine, Parys Mountain in North Wales, the area noticeably lacked biodiversity because of metal toxicity.

My collection symbolizes how we are running out of time to regain balance between our artistic practices and the environment. The hourglass shape of my ceramic pieces signifies this. Avoiding the issue will tip the balance of biodiversity like the broken ceramic piece in my collection. The collection name Gwyllt y Ddaear translated from Welsh to English; is Wild of the Earth. I chose this title as the hand-sourced clay originated from the wild landscape of North Wales. I hope to continue developing glazes with hand-sourced materials to raise awareness of the importance of protecting our natural environment.


Mae’r casgliad hwn yn gyfuniad o ddeunyddiau masnachol a llaw; wedi’u cyfuno i wella cynaliadwyedd fy nghasgliad. Wedi’i wneud o deracota masnachol, a adenillais, y prif gynhwysyn gwydredd oedd clai gwyllt o Draeth Aberlleiniog, yn agos at fy nghartref yng Ngogledd Cymru, lle mae clogwyni bychain ar hyd glan y môr yn cwympo’n araf i’r traeth creigiog ac mae gwenoliaid y glennydd yn tyllu i mewn i wyneb meddal wyneb y clogwyn. Wrth droed y clogwyni, des o hyd i dwmpathau o glai ac fe es i â bwced ohono yn ôl adref i’w brosesu.

Rwyf wedi mabwysiadu cyrchu â llaw fel ymarfer creadigol i gryfhau fy nealltwriaeth a fy nghysylltiad â’r amgylchedd. Nid oes gan y gadwyn gyflenwi deunydd masnachol y tryloywder i ddangos effeithiau gor-ddefnyddio deunydd crai. Pan ymwelais â’r hen fwynglawdd copr, Mynydd Parys yng Ngogledd Cymru, roedd yr ardal yn amlwg yn brin o fioamrywiaeth oherwydd gwenwyndra metel.

Mae fy nghasgliad yn symbol o sut yr ydym yn rhedeg allan o amser i adennill cydbwysedd rhwng ein harferion artistig a’r amgylchedd. Mae siâp awrwydr fy narnau ceramig yn dynodi hyn. Bydd osgoi’r mater yn arwain at gydbwysedd bioamrywiaeth fel y darn ceramig toredig yn fy nghasgliad. Enw’r casgliad Gwyllt y Ddaear wedi’i gyfieithu o’r Gymraeg i’r Saesneg yw Wild of the Earth. Dewisais y teitl hwn gan fod y clai a gyrchwyd â llaw yn tarddu o dirwedd wyllt Gogledd Cymru. Rwy’n gobeithio parhau i ddatblygu gwydreddau gyda deunyddiau o ffynonellau llaw i godi ymwybyddiaeth o bwysigrwydd gwarchod ein hamgylchedd naturiol.


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