I am a craftsperson and textile artist, from Eryri. My work is very process-led and I specialise in felting, surface pattern design, and weaving. The main themes of my work are home, identity, and ecology.
This project has been an exploration of coping with grief and learning how to feel safe again after experiencing personal loss. Felting has been a method of healing, as it is a repetitive, meditative process. The coat hung on the wall is inspired by a coat I recently inherited from my grandmother Edna. The coat is an ode to her and Homeland. It was designed and made to be able to carry your home with you, as a safety net. It is a protective garment, meant to keep you warm, and gives you the comfort of home when you can’t be there physically.
Much of the visual reference comes from my home in Dinorwic Quarry, North Wales, strengthening its emotional value.
Working with wool was very important to me. Being Welsh, and from an area where sheep farming is a big part of the community and landscape, I have been brought up knowing the importance of wool as a material. When ethically farmed, wool is an amazing material as it is hard-wearing and durable, but is also biodegradable at the end of its life. I combine it with some plant-based fibres, for an end result that is a strong and natural resource.
Working in felt has opened a range of opportunities for me, and they would like to continue embracing its meditative properties in the form of workshops in the future.
Crefftwraig ac artist tecstiliau ydw i o Eryri. Mae fy ngwaith un cael ei arwain i raddau helaeth gan broses ac rwy’n arbenigo mewn ffeltio, dylunio patrwm arwyneb, a gwehyddu. Prif themâu fy ngwaith yw cartref, hunaniaeth, ac ecoleg.
Mae’r prosiect hwn yn ystyried ymdopi â galar a dysgu sut i deimlo’n ddiogel eto wedi wynebu colled bersonol. Mae ffeltio wedi bod yn fodd o adfer, am ei bod yn broses ailadroddus a myfyriol. Ysbrydolwyd y got sy’n hongian ar y wal gan got yr etifeddais yn ddiweddar gan fy mam-gu Edna. Mae’r got yn destun mawl iddi hi a Mamwlad Cafodd ei chynllunio a’u chreu er mwyn ei gwneud hi’n bosibl i chi gario eich cartref gyda chi, fel rhwyd amddiffynnol. Mae’n ddilledyn amddiffynnol, gyda’r bwriad o’ch cadw’n gynnes, a chynnig cysur cartref i chi pan na fedrwch fod yno’n gorfforol.
Daw cryn dipyn o’r gyfeiriadaeth weledol o’m cartref yn ardal Chwarel Dinorwig, yn y gogledd, sy’n atgyfnerthu’r gwerth emosiynol.
Roedd gweithio gyda gwlân yn hynod bwysig i mi. Fel Cymraes, ac o ardal lle mae ffermio defaid yn rhan amlwg o’r gymuned a’r dirwedd, cefais fy magu gan wybod am bwysigrwydd gwlân fel deunydd. O’i fframio’n foesegol, mae gwlân yn ddeunydd anhygoel am ei fod yn gwisgo’n dda ac yn wydn, ond hefyd yn bydradwy ar ddiwedd ei oes. Rwy’n ei gyfuno â rhai ffibrau o blanhigion, er mwyn creu adnodd cryf a naturiol.
Mae gweithio drwy gyfrwng ffelt wedi cynnig amrywiaeth o gyfleoedd i mi, a buaswn yn dymuno parhau i gofleidio’i nodweddion myfyriol drwy gyfrwng gweithdai yn y dyfodol.
• https://www.ksorchacraft.com
• https://www.instagram.com/k.sorchacraft/
