Artist Statement

The strange and unusual have always appealed to me. As a small child, I would hear of odd creatures and bizarre events, and now, as an adult, I am able to discover and create these tales for myself from what lurks in the very corners of my brain. This inspires my artwork, which frequently incorporates themes such as death and nature, with inherent links to mental health. I explore these themes in a range of artistic media, primarily through illustration, sculpture and lino cut printing. However, as an experimenter by nature, I am often trying out new materials and techniques in order to further my practice and satisfy my curiosity. My artwork often results in a collection of objects, those of my own design as well as ones that have been found, a carefully curated arrangement of vintage and macabre.

The Various Folklore of the Spectral Dog

For this exhibition, I was inspired by my favourite spot in Clwb y Bont, Pontypridd, an old stone alcove which once housed a fireplace, just next to the bar. This drove me to find a link between this spot and my interest in folklore, looking into the creature that had ties to pubs and the fire that would have once burned in that pub. This was only further fuelled by Clwb y Bont’s reputation for supporting folk music, local artists and Celtic culture. 

There is so much folklore within this world, plenty of which can simply be explained away using logic and reason. However, the Spectral Dog is one creature that defies these rules due to numerous sightings and encounters, even to this day. Accounts date as far back as the 11th century and spread across many countries, but none as prevalent as in Britain. The various folklore of these Spectral Dogs have been collated and depicted for this exhibition in the form of a shrine installation and illustrated zine, which includes a guide for how to make your very own folklore zine.

If you would like to order a limited edition hard copy of ‘The Various Folklore of the Spectral Dog’ as well as an exclusive print and sticker pack, to be delivered to you by post, please send me a direct message with code ‘Folklore’ via Instagram @bryonys_oddities.