Zillah Bowes is a multi-disciplinary artist and filmmaker with a practice in lens-based media, poetry, installation and sculpture. Her work frequently explores the relationship between the individual and the natural environment.
Mae Zillah Bowes yn artist amlddisgyblaeth ac yn wneuthurwr ffilm gyda phractis yng nghyfryngau’r lens, barddoniaeth, gosodiadau a cherfluniau. Mae ei gwaith yn aml yn archwilio'r berthynas rhwng yr unigolyn a'r amgylchedd naturiol.
Photography and poetry
For my Ports Past and Present project, I was resident for several months in Fishguard and Goodwick in different seasons over a period of a year. I wanted to spend time to discover the rhythm of the towns and surroundings, and speak to people from all walks of life. I planned to develop photographic and poetry works organically from this process with a focus on the relationship between the land and sea. On an abstract level, I think I was looking to perceive where losses between past and present were held.
I was especially interested to hear the oral history of working people in the area, and how life and work has changed in their lifetime, as well as that of the preceding generation. I became particularly fascinated by the past spatial relationship between people who lived in Harbour Village, whose parents or grandparents may have originally moved there for work, and the Harbour below. I subsequently developed two series of large scale photographs on medium format film and accompanying poetry, Jacob’s Ladder and All the Sea View Sheds.
Ffotograffiaeth a barddoniaeth
Ar gyfer fy mhrosiect Porthladdoedd, Ddoe a Heddiw, bues i’n preswylio am sawl mis yn Abergwaun ac Wdig mewn gwahanol dymhorau dros gyfnod o flwyddyn. Roeddwn i eisiau treulio amser yn darganfod rhythm y trefi a'r amgylchoedd, a siarad â phobl o bob cefndir. Roeddwn i'n bwriadu datblygu gweithiau ffotograffig a barddoniaeth yn organig o'r broses hon gan ganolbwyntio ar y berthynas rhwng y tir a'r môr. Ar lefel haniaethol, rwy'n credu fy mod i'n edrych i weld ble roedd colledion rhwng y gorffennol a'r presennol yn cael eu dal.
Roedd gen i ddiddordeb arbennig mewn clywed hanes llafar pobl sy'n gweithio yn yr ardal, a sut mae bywyd a gwaith wedi newid yn ystod eu hoes, yn ogystal â hanes y genhedlaeth flaenorol. Cefais fy swyno'n arbennig gan y berthynas ofodol yn y gorffennol rhwng pobl oedd yn byw ym Mhentref yr Harbwr, y gallai eu rhieni neu eu neiniau a’u teidiau fod wedi symud yno yn wreiddiol ar gyfer gwaith, a'r Harbwr islaw. Yn dilyn hynny, datblygais ddwy gyfres o ffotograffau ar raddfa fawr ar ffilm fformat canolig a barddoniaeth ategol, Jacob's Ladder ac All the Sea View Sheds.
About Zillah Bowes
Her photographic series Green Dark was a Single Image Winner in the British Journal of Photography International Photography Awards. It also won the Museum Wales Purchase Prize at the National Eisteddfod in 2022, forming part of the permanent collection. Green Dark showed in solo exhibition at Ffotogallery after previewing in the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition and Welsh Parliament & Ffotogallery’s Many Voices, One Nation touring exhibition.
Zillah's photographic series Allowed was a winner in the British Journal of Photography Edition 365 Awards. Her film Allowed, using 3D animations of the photographs, won the Jury’s Stellar Award at Thomas Edison Film Festival and Best Film at Focus WALES in 2022. For her poetry, she has won a Creative Wales Award, the Wordsworth Trust Prize and a Literature Matters Award from the Royal Society of Literature.
Manylion Zillah Bowes
Enilloddei chyfres ffotograffig Green Dark wobr Delwedd Sengl yng Ngwobrau Ffotograffiaeth Rhyngwladol y British Journal of Photography. Enillodd hefyd Wobr Brynu Amgueddfa Cymru yn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yn 2022, gan ffurfio rhan o'r casgliad parhaol. Dangosodd Green Dark mewn arddangosfa unigol yn Ffotogallery ar ôl rhagolwg yn Arddangosfa Haf Academi Frenhinol y Celfyddydauacarddangosfa deithiol Senedd Cymru a Ffotogallery, Nifer o Leisiau, Un Genedl.
Roedd cyfres ffotograffig Zillah Allowed yn fuddugol yng ngwobrau Edition 365 y British Journal of Photography. Enillodd ei ffilm Allowed, sy’n defnyddio animeiddiadau 3D o'r ffotograffau, Wobr Seren y Rheithgor yng Ngŵyl Ffilm Thomas Edison a'r Ffilm Orau yn FOCUS Cymru yn 2022. O ran ei barddoniaeth, mae hi wedi ennill Gwobr Cymru Greadigol, Gwobr Ymddiriedolaeth Wordsworth a Gwobr Materion Llenyddiaeth gan y Gymdeithas Lenyddiaeth Frenhinol.
The photographic series All the Sea View Sheds explores the constancy of outdoor domestic structures in Harbour Village above Fishguard Harbour, West Wales.
