‘My work is often themed by loss and longing, with a focus on graffiti and hip-hop, nature and the human connection to it’
– Amelia Unity
In 2017, Unity began creating work around ‘nature’ words that had been removed from the Oxford Junior Dictionary, replaced with ‘technology’ words. Words for things that are commonly seen by children – bluebell, ivy, acorn… what happens in the future if our children don’t have language for the natural world?
In 2018 Unity created artwork used by RSPB Cymru to lobby Welsh Government during policy creation. Some of the work in this exhibition is a follow on from these pieces.
Self-taught, with a background in ‘break’ dance and DJ-ing, Unity is known for her murals (you can see one in the courtyard just outside), and more recently as a lyricist and founding member of Ladies of Rage. Invited to sit on discussion panels for ‘Festival of Voice’ (Cardiff), University of Bristol, and as far afield as Hong Kong, she is ‘thinking very progressively about the application of graffiti as a means of community engagement’.
Unity aims to challenge public perceptions of ‘tagging’ and graffiti by presenting it in newly accessible ways, remaining true to the community-based culture. She grew up in Mid-Wales and now lives just outside Cardiff. Unity set up Cardiff’s Millennium Walkway legal graffiti wall and currently has a petition to get Cardiff Council to come through on their promise of creating more legal spaces to paint in the city.
Petition · Create legal painting option on construction site hoardings · Change.org
Instagram: @artbyunity
‘Graffiti, like disease, is metastatic. Writing on walls highlights a building’s ageing process; with landlords actively opposed to graffiti, their attempts to cover the marks with bad colour swatches actually highlight the existence of graffiti. Graffiti is like lush green ivy on a wall.’
– ‘Cattle’ quote from Graffiti World by Nicholas Ganz
If you’re interested in buying Amelia’s postcard packs (the proceeds will be donated to RSPB Cymru), prints or artworks, please contact: Magda.Lackowska@wales.nhs.uk
The exhibition will run until the 18th April 2022.
For more information about the Arts for Health and Wellbeing programme, please visit www.cardiffandvale.art and our social media pages on Facebook and Twitter @CAVuhbArts and Instagram @thehearthgallery
Landmarks – arddangosfa gan Amelia Unity
‘Mae fy ngwaith yn aml yn canolbwyntio ar y thema o golled a hiraeth, gyda ffocws ar graffiti a hip-hop, natur a’i chysylltiad dynol’
– Amelia Unity
Yn 2017, dechreuodd Unity greu gwaith yn seiliedig ar eiriau ‘natur’ a oedd wedi’u tynnu o’r Oxford Junior Dictionary, a chael eu disodli gan eiriau ‘technoleg’. Geiriau ar gyfer pethau sy’n cael eu gweld yn aml gan blant – clychau’r gog, iorwg, mes… beth fydd yn digwydd yn y dyfodol os nad oes gan ein plant iaith ar gyfer y byd naturiol?
Yn 2018 creodd Unity waith celf a ddefnyddiwyd gan RSPB Cymru i geisio dylanwadu ar Lywodraeth Cymru wrth iddynt greu polisïau. Mae peth o’r gwaith yn yr arddangosfa hon yn ddilyniant o’r darnau hyn.
Yn hunanddysgedig, gyda chefndir mewn breg-ddawnsio a throelli disgiau, mae Unity yn adnabyddus am ei murluniau (gallwch weld un yn ardal yr iard y tu allan), ac yn fwy diweddar fel awdur geiriau ac un o sylfaenwyr Ladies of Rage. Wedi’i gwahodd i eistedd ar baneli trafod ar gyfer ‘Gŵyl y Llais’ (Caerdydd), Prifysgol Bryste, ac mor bell â Hong Kong, mae hi’n ‘meddwl mwy a mwy am ddefnyddio graffiti fel ffordd o ymgysylltu â’r gymuned’.
Nod Unity yw herio canfyddiadau’r cyhoedd o ‘dagio’ a graffiti drwy ei gyflwyno mewn ffordd hygyrch newydd, gan gadw’n driw i’r diwylliant cymunedol. Cafodd ei magu yng nghanolbarth Cymru ac mae bellach yn byw ychydig y tu allan i Gaerdydd. Sefydlodd Unity wal graffiti cyfreithiol Rhodfa’r Mileniwm, Caerdydd ac ar hyn o bryd mae ganddi ddeiseb i annog Cyngor Caerdydd i gadw at ei addewid o greu mwy o fannau cyfreithiol i’w paentio yn y ddinas.
Deiseb · Creu opsiwn paentio cyfreithiol ar hysbysfyrddau safleoedd adeiladu · Change.org
Instagram: @artbyunity
‘Graffiti, like disease, is metastatic. Writing on walls highlights a building’s ageing process; with landlords actively opposed to graffiti, their attempts to cover the marks with bad colour swatches actually highlight the existence of graffiti. Graffiti is like lush green ivy on a wall.’
– Dyfyniad ‘Cattle’ o Graffiti World gan Nicholas Ganz
Os oes gennych ddiddordeb mewn prynu pecynnau cardiau post (bydd yr elw’n cael ei roi i RSPB Cymru), printiau neu waith celf Amelia, cysylltwch â: Magda.Lackowska@wales.nhs.uk
Bydd yr arddangosfa i’w gweld tan 18 Ebrill 2022.
Os hoffech ragor o wybodaeth am raglen y Celfyddydau ar gyfer Iechyd a Lles, ewch i www.cardiffandvale.art a’n tudalennau cyfryngau cymdeithasol ar Facebook a Twitter @CAVuhbArts ac Instagram @thehearthgallery
