Events
SwsKathryn Ashill
27 March - 27 March 2010
One day performance 11am – 5pm Saturday 27 March 2010
Artist Kathryn Ashill is inviting participants to apply lipstick and kiss her at Mission Gallery. The red lipstick kisses will be an act of love and a pursuit of intimacy. This is a constant theme throughout her work. In past performances she has been hugged, squeezed, washed, hand fed, and been dressed by her audience. Ashill is trusting that the audience will take care of her, and naively places her physical self in the hands of the public. In doing so the artist highlights the vulnerability of a young woman in today’s society.
Sws being the Welsh for ‘Kiss’ is a reference to the artist’s experiences of the Welsh language and the warmth of her education at Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Pontardawe. Like India’s Hugging Saint, Kathryn is also attempting to bless those who partake in the kiss. Shrine like, the artist will stand at the annexe of the former sea- man’s church and wait for the participants sws. Ashill comments: “I’m looking forward to having this interaction with the visitors to the gallery. Having a kiss from the locals is a very nice homecoming!”
Kathryn Ashill is a practicing artist from Swansea who lives and makes work in Cardiff. The artist graduated from the BA Fine Art (Combined Media) at Swansea Metropolitan University in 2007. Her work concentrates on her physical interpretations of her surroundings that culminate in live actions that are documented through photography and film. Collaboration is a key element to the artists work as her performances focus around social interaction and interventions. Her work has been included in a number of exhibitions: Auxises tactileBosch 2009; Hybrid tactileBosch 2008; SATnet Oriel Y Lle 2008; AIR Oriel Y Lle 2008; Ground (Kathryn Ashill & Owen Griffiths, curated by Tim Davies) Oriel Lliw Gallery 2008, Welsh Artist of the Year, St Davids Hall 2007; Show, Dynevor Centre of Art, Design & Media 2007; Dress Doll, Oriel Y Lle 2006-07; Scruples, Dynevor Centre of Art, Design & Media 2006; LoveBite (performance) Technarte International Conference on Science, Art and Technology Bilbao 2009. Kathryn was also Artist in Residence on the Foundation Art and Design 2007-2008, a position that contributed towards the development of her practice. Ashill has recently been awarded an Arts Council of Wales award for a performative/residency project at Craig-Y-Nos Castle to take place in the summer of 2010.
Kathryn Ashill was awarded the Mission Gallery Student Prize in 2007 in recognition of Tawe Performances 2006-2007.
