The Hearth Gallery are delighted to present the Dementia Darnings exhibition by multi-media artist Jenni Dutton. In this body of work, Jenni responds to her mother’s dementia diagnosis by using stitching to re-create portraits of her mum from old photo albums. The exhibition has toured extensively in the UK and travelled to Europe, and China. This will be the first time it’s shown in Wales and the Hearth Gallery are proud to host it.
Jenni will also be joined by her daughter, Briony Goffin, who will deliver creative writing workshops – Writing as Tribute. Inspired by the Dementia Darnings exhibition, this warm and welcoming creative writing workshop will explore the power of Writing as Tribute. With support and guidance from writer and tutor, Briony Goffin, participants will be given opportunity to write a tribute to someone special in their lives in the form of a simple list poem. No previous writing experience required, and all writing materials provided.
This workshop also takes its inspiration from Briony Goffin’s TED talk, Writing as an Act of Tribute, in which Briony uses the form of the list poem to honour her grandmother, Gladys Dutton, the subject of the artwork in the Dementia Darnings exhibition. This project has created opportunity for mother and daughter’s work to overlap, and to bring three generations of women back together again.
This project was kindly funded by the Cardiff & Vale Health Charity Staff Lottery.
The Dementia Darnings exhibition will run until 13th June 2022.
Opening Event: Wednesday 4th May, 12pm
Meet the Artist Sessions: 5th & 18th May, 6th & 7th June, 12pm at the Hearth Gallery
Free In-person Creative Writing Workshop: Thursday 19th May, 11am – 1pm at the Hearth Gallery
Free Online Creative Writing Workshop: Thursday 26th May, 11am – 1pm
Register by visiting
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)
If you require further information or to purchase any of the artworks on show, or would like to be included in future exhibitions please contact: Magda.Lackowska@wales.nhs.uk
Each stitch goes towards evoking presence
Marion Mitchel
The series known as the Dementia Darnings developed from my mother’s interest and joy in looking through family photo albums. She was diagnosed with dementia in 2011 and as my role as carer increased it seems only possible to continue my practice by making her and our situation the subject of my work. She enjoyed having me around, watching me curiously when I occasionally brought the canvases to her house to work on. I was amazed by her reaction, her engagement with the process given her deteriorating memory.
My background is in fine art, rather than fibre based. I developed the images in a way similar to making a cross hatched drawing, by sewing through fine bobinette netting stretched over a canvas. It is a slow, meditative process. Each one can take up to three or four months to complete.
The series grew as my mother went into a nursing home. As I relinquished her care to other people, I became an observer. I continued to make the work which had now become about universal ageing, about time passing and about documenting her decline due to the development of dementia. I began to separate each length of of the tapestry wool into its individual strands, ironing them to remove the kinks. This finer yarn helped to convey her gentle frailty. She died peacefully in 2015.
The Dementia Darnings have travelled extensively in the U.K. and Europe, and a selection reached China in 2018. I can be contacted via my website
Jenni Dutton, April 2022
Twitter: @JenniDutton
Instagram: @JenniDutton9342
The Dementia Darnings – arddangosfa gan Jenni Dutton
Mae Oriel yr Aelwyd yn falch iawn o gyflwyno arddangosfa The Dementia Darnings gan yr artist amlgyfrwng Jenni Dutton. Yn y corff hwn o waith, mae Jenni yn ymateb i ddiagnosis dementia ei mam drwy ddefnyddio pwytho i ail-greu portreadau o’i mam o hen albymau lluniau. Mae’r arddangosfa wedi teithio’n helaeth o amgylch y DU ac wedi teithio i Ewrop a Tsieina. Dyma fydd y tro cyntaf iddi ddod i Gymru ac mae Oriel yr Aelwyd yn falch o’i harddangos.
Bydd ei merch, Briony Goffin, hefyd yn ymuno â Jenni ac yn cyflwyno gweithdai ysgrifennu creadigol – Writing as Tribute. Wedi’i ysbrydoli gan arddangosfa The Dementia Darnings, bydd y gweithdy ysgrifennu creadigol cynnes a chroesawgar hwn yn archwilio grym Writing as Tribute. Gyda chefnogaeth ac arweiniad gan yr awdur a’r tiwtor Briony Goffin, bydd y rhai sy’n cymryd rhan yn cael cyfle i ysgrifennu teyrnged i rywun arbennig yn eu bywydau ar ffurf cerdd restr syml. Nid oes angen unrhyw brofiad ysgrifennu blaenorol, a darperir yr holl ddeunyddiau ysgrifennu.
Cafodd y gweithdy hwn ei ysbrydoli hefyd gan sgwrs TED Briony Goffin, Writing as an Act of Tribute, lle mae Briony yn defnyddio ffurf y gerdd restr i anrhydeddu ei mam-gu, Gladys Dutton, testun y gwaith celf yn arddangosfa The Dementia Darnings. Mae’r prosiect hwn wedi creu cyfle i waith mam a merch orgyffwrdd, ac i ddod â thair cenhedlaeth o fenywod yn ôl at ei gilydd unwaith eto.
Ariannwyd y prosiect hwn yn garedig gan Loteri Staff.
Bydd arddangosfa The Dementia Darnings i’w gweld tan 13 Mehefin 2022.
Digwyddiad Agoriadol: Dydd Mercher 4 Mai, 12pm
Sesiynau Cwrdd â’r Artist: 5, 6, 18 Mai / 6, 7 Mehefin, 12pm yn Oriel yr Aelwyd
Gweithdy Ysgrifennu Creadigol wyneb yn wyneb: Dydd Iau 19 Mai, 11am – 1pm
Gweithdy Ysgrifennu Creadigol ar-lein: Dydd Iau 26 Mai, 11am – 1pm
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
I gael rhagor o wybodaeth neu i brynu unrhyw un o’r darnau celf, neu os hoffech chi gael eich cynnwys yn arddangosiadau’r dyfodol, cysylltwch â: Magda.Lackowska@wales.nhs.uk
Mae pob pwyth yn dod â’i phresenoldeb yn fyw
Marion Mitchell
Datblygodd y gyfres dan yr enw The Dementia Darnings o ddiddordeb a llawenydd fy mam wrth iddi edrych drwy albymau lluniau teuluol. Cafodd ddiagnosis o ddementia yn 2011 ac wrth i’m rôl fel gofalwr dyfu, daeth i’r amlwg mai’r unig ffordd i barhau â fy ymarfer oedd trwy ei gwneud hi a’n sefyllfa ni yn destun i fy ngwaith. Roedd hi’n mwynhau fy nghwmni, yn fy ngwylio gyda diddordeb pan fydden i o bryd i’w gilydd yn dod â’r canfasau i’w thŷ i weithio arnynt. Fe’m syfrdanwyd gan ei hymateb, ei hymgysylltiad â’r broses o ystyried y dirywiad yn ei chof.
Mae fy nghefndir mewn celfyddyd gain, yn hytrach na chelfyddyd ffeibr. Datblygais y delweddau mewn arddull tebyg i greu llun llinellau rhesog, gan wnïo drwy rwyd bobinette cain wedi’i ymestyn dros ganfas. Mae’n broses araf, fyfyriol. Gall pob un gymryd hyd at dri neu bedwar mis i’w gwblhau.
Tyfodd y gyfres wrth i fy mam fynd i gartref nyrsio. Wrth i fi drosglwyddo cyfrifoldeb am ei gofal i bobl eraill, fe ddes i’n arsylwr. Fe wnes i barhau i wneud y gwaith a oedd bellach yn ymwneud â heneiddio’n gyffredinol, am dreigl amser a dogfennu ei dirywiad o ganlyniad i ddatblygiad dementia. Dechreuais wahanu pob darn o’r gwlân tapestri i’w linynnau unigol, gan eu smwddio er mwyn gwaredu’r crychion. Roedd yr edafedd main hyn yn helpu i gyfleu ei heiddilwch tyner. Bu farw’n heddychlon yn 2015.
Mae The Dementia Darnings wedi teithio’n helaeth yn y Deyrnas Unedig ac yn Ewrop, ac fe wnaeth detholiad o’r gwaith gyrraedd Tsieina yn 2018. Gellir cysylltu â fi drwy fy ngwefan.
Jenni Dutton, Ebrill 2022
Twitter: @JenniDutton
Instagram: @JenniDutton9342