Catrin HOWELL

View in collection Born in Wales, she is noted for her lively animal sculptures often based on mythical beasts. She took a Foundation Course in Art and Design at Carmarthenshire College of Technology and Art (1988-1989) and obtained a B.Hons Ceramics (1st Class) from the University of Wolverhampton (1989-1992) specialising in Three Dimensional Design. During her degree course, she took part in a student exchange programme and spent a term at Alfred University, New York. This proved to be a turning point for her work focusing her interest on the major theme of animals and Welsh myths, especially those from the Mabinogion. She has continued working within this theme making powerful, expressionistic animal forms, which are unique in the field. The work explores the precariousness of balance and fragility in her group figures of dogs, which are arranged in tiers in a manner that appears to defy gravity. Her work was shown in Ceramic Contemporaries at the Victoria &Albert Museum (1993) where she received a judges commendation, she received the Craft Masterpiece Gold Medal for Craft and Design at the Welsh National Eisteddfod (1998) and an Award of Merit from the Fletcher Challenge Ceramics Award, New Zealand (1994). She combines making ceramics with creative workshops for children and adults and has been a visiting lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton. Her work has been shown in a number of exhibitions, early ones include  including Animal Magic at the Oxford Gallery (1994), Ceramic Series at Aberystwyth Arts Centre (1995) and The Cat Scratched Little Johnny, Contemporary Ceramics in Wales (1999). She was awarded a Creative Wales Award from the Arts Council of Wales in 2007 and has had solo exhibitions in Wales, Scotland and the Netherlands.

Details

• Dates: 1969-