O dan y wyneb

In 2024, we commissioned Gemma Green-Hope to develop a new short animated poetry film, presented here for the first time. The words in the film are drawn from poems written by participants in workshops led by Grug Muse and Emma Beynon at Oriel Davies, inspired by works from the National CELF Collection of Contemporary Art.

Gemma has woven these poems into a bilingual narrative, responding with her own surreal imagery to create a piece that travels through shared themes. The narration is recorded by singer, writer and composer Casi Wyn, who has also collaborated with Gemma on her ongoing project *TIRWAED/ LANDSBLOOD*, an animated exploration of the Afon Hafren/River Severn—an exhibition we will present later in the year.

Gemma is an animation director, illustrator, and artist from Pembrokeshire, creating bold, playful work filled with care and heart — from independent short films to ads and explainers. Since graduating from Kingston School of Art in 2012, she has collaborated with clients including Penguin Books, BBC, The School of Life, and Tate, distilling complex ideas into clear, impactful imagery. Working closely with talented producers, animators, composers, and sound designers, she brings each project to life with craft and intention. Alongside her client work, Gemma develops independent short films and explores animation’s power to tell real, human stories. She lives in Newport, Pembrokeshire with her wife, son, and dog, drawing daily inspiration from the people and landscape around her.

Original music is composed by The Lennox Darnley Jewel, a recently formed electronic collective focused on spiritual, visual and audio communication. Sound mix is by Colin Consterdine.

The writing groups at Oriel Davies, led by the excellent Emma Beynon, previously worked with pieces from the CELF Collection to develop poetry that became the starting point for Gemma’s film. The animation’s colour palette is inspired by these artworks, which will be displayed as large-scale reproductions alongside the film:

Bedtime by Howard Hodgkin

Welsh Miners Morning Shift by George Poole

Landscape with Fields and Farm Buildings by Ray Howard-Jones

The short film will run every half hour. The exhibition is designed to encourage visitors to write their own responses and consider joining our writing groups. We hope the space becomes a genuine starting point for creativity and experimentation.

We will also be working with two artists who will offer prompts to visitors:

**Georgia Sugarman** – a self-taught POC illustrator based in Cardiff, whose work celebrates the beauty and distinctiveness of BIPOC communities. She has collaborated with Black Girl Fest, The Blues Project, The Brooklyn Mavens, and Welsh organisations including In Two Minds Podcast and Citrus Comms.

**Heidi Plant** – a multidisciplinary artist from Pembrokeshire exploring feminine relationships and roles through a modern folk lens, creating dreamlike narratives with bold colour and texture.

This film has been funded by Arts Council of Wales through the National Lottery, with support from CELF through the Welsh Government.

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