Kim Harley Griffiths
The Sculpture Gallery
Stand: 518
Growing up on the edge of an ancient woodland in Colwyn Bay, North Wales, I was immersed in the sounds of nature and the otherworldly calls of animals from the nearby Welsh Mountain Zoo. As night fell, these primeval soundscapes sparked vivid dreams and fuelled my imagination, leaving a deep and lasting impression on my creative spirit. This early connection to the natural world, tinged with mystery and mythology, continues to shape my work today.
My journey as an artist began as a children's book illustrator and constantly developing my drawing and painting skills. I have always believed that the essence of capturing nature is not through rigid precision, it must be felt, embraced and translated through spontaneous, gestural mark making. I want to portray how animals and birds move with power and natural grace. This is what I strive to achieve through drawing, painting and sculpture, it all connects. In recent years I have discovered the tactile, transformative qualities of clay and found a medium truly in tune with my vision. Working with clay allows me to bring to life my creatures and mythical figures, where touch and form merge to tell stories of folklore, nature, and transformation.
On my journey I have drawn inspiration from The Mabinogion, with its rich tapestry of Welsh mythology and rituals and their timeless, haunting narratives. This has led to my ongoing series of ‘Bwbach’ Woodling sculptures, which explore the delicate line between the human, animal and the mythical, metamorphosis and themes of identity and transformation.
I am fortunate to be represented in inspiring spaces such as Oriel Glasfryn in North Wales, The LAKE Gallery in West Kirby, and Editions Liverpool. My sculptures and Paintings have also found homes through commissions and in private collections across the UK and internationally.
Through my art and sculpture, I aspire to bridge the ancient and the modern, the natural and the mythical, reconnecting with the timeless narratives that echo through our shared human experience which continues to shape my work today.
I am delighted to have recently been offered a studio at the Bluecoat and to be joining their Creative Community. The Bluecoat is Liverpool’s oldest surviving building and the UK’s first arts centre.
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