Faces of Rebellion: Action for a better world

New Exhibition at Y Stiwdio, from Monday 24th March

There’s a long and proud history of activists who have worked for a better world by challenging the status quo when change was needed. The suffragettes and civil rights protesters often spring to mind, but many others have also shaped our world for the better over the centuries. This exhibition is part of an international art activism project that continues this tradition, focusing on climate activism through visual storytelling.

Currently, five artists are involved in the project, with two having published work so far. This exhibition will feature the work of both Bitterjug and Solutionairy.

Meet the Artists

Bitterjug is the artistic pseudonym of Mark Skipper, the originator of the project. He describes himself as “a software engineer with a sketchbook,” but his passion extends beyond coding. As a climate activist and reportage sketcher, he takes his sketchbook to protests to capture scenes and atmosphere in ways that photography cannot. His series, Faces of Rebellion, showcases sketches of activists accompanied by their own words, revealing the deeply personal and varied reasons why people take a stand.

“Faces of Rebellion tells the stories of climate activists as humans in a way the media cannot. Its enduring themes are compassion and community,” Mark explains.

Solutionairy, from The Netherlands, brings a background in psychology to her artistic activism. “I trained as a solution-focused psychologist. We focus on people's strengths and their unique ways to deal with life’s challenges. With Faces of Rebellion, I get to apply this to our greatest challenge. I'm inspired by the variety of stories of courage and kindness in the face of climate breakdown.”

Local Voices and Video Stories

Adding to the exhibition, local artist and filmmaker Caroline Juler, based in Brynberian, has created a series of short videos featuring climate activists from the Cardigan area. Her work highlights the many different ways people contribute to climate action, showing how individual skills and passions feed into a collective effort. “I’ve been very aware of the escalating climate crisis for some time, and recently I’ve been taking a more active part in trying to do something about it,” says Caroline. “We all bring our own backgrounds and talents to climate work, and these all feed into effective climate campaigning when we work together. I wanted to make the videos to show how this works for some of the many local activists.”

A Collective Effort for Change

The exhibition has been arranged by members of the West Wales Climate Coalition, with Philippa Gibson playing a key role in its organisation. She acknowledges that progress in tackling climate issues can feel slow at times but emphasises the importance of collective effort.

“It’s easy to feel disheartened by slow progress, and Donald Trump’s denial of the climate crisis doesn’t help, but we need to be aware that we are part of an ‘ecosystem of change.’ This includes COP international climate conferences, national legislation, community action, industry innovation, and individual commitment, including protests and non-violent direct action to challenge damaging practices.” She adds, “All these parts work together to make meaningful impacts achievable. We ALL have a role to play. This exhibition aims to be inspiring and positive.”

Come and see activism through an artistic lens, offering a fresh perspective on climate action and the people behind it. If you’re in the area, it’s well worth a visit.

Y Stiwdio loves hosting local exhibitions and love to hear from various artists. If you are keen to use the space to show off your work, then please do get in touch.

We also have two upcoming evening talks for people to come and hear a talk at Y Stiwdio.

• Tuesday 25th March at 6:45 PM - Regenerative Vineyard

  • Jemma & Paul are coming to Y Stiwdio to talk about Natural Wine. There is no need to book, just show up!

  • This is going to be excellent, we love all that Jemma and Paul put their attention to.

• Wednesday 30th April at 6:45 PM - Sustainable Botanical Dyeing

  • Siân Lester will be coming to offer a talk on Sustainable Botanical Dyeing. We think it is going to be well worth coming along to!

  • No need to book, just show up. Cash donations to Siân on the door.

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