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The National Botanic Garden of Wales is proud to announce an extraordinary upcoming exhibition featuring The Calico Dress, a ground-breaking community textile project that celebrates Welsh identity, heritage, and community spirit through the art of embroidery.Calico Dress Cymru is a community project commissioned by Amgueddfa Cymru, Museum of Wales. Lead artist, participatory textiles specialist, Menna Buss has invited Stitching Botanicals, led by Sue Quirk, to contribute.
Calico Dress Cymru is the first of a series of daughter projects of the internationally acclaimed Red Dress by Kirstie Macleod. Now in its 15th year, the Red Dress has travelled the world inviting voices in stitch from people, predominantly women who have stories to tell of war, peace and resilience.
Menna calls for participants of Calico Dress Cymru to explore their connection to Wales – past, present, future.
“Considering the collaboration with the Museum of Wales, I wanted to create a reimagined folk costume for and by communities in Wales. A sort of wearable time capsule embellished with people’s passions and ideas!”
The original dress, commissioned in 2022 has been altered by Menna to include a Welsh wool tailored ‘betgwn’ jacket and naturally dyed skirt, giving its striking blue.
During a week-long residency at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, Stitching Botanicals will contribute more than 30 embroideries depicting narcissi varieties, celebrating Wales’ National flower, the daffodil. They will be patched to form a wonderful bustle on the skirt.
Members of the group will be on hand throughout the week to chat to visitors about their experiences of being involved in textile arts. Menna will be joining us to share stories and insights about the project as well plans for its continued journey around Wales.
The exhibition will be situated in the Oriel and will be able to be viewed by visitors to the Garden from the 3rd – 8th October.
This exhibition is free with Garden Admission.
Calico Dress Cymru Exhibition
Mae’r Ardd Fotaneg Genedlaethol Cymru yn falch o gyhoeddi arddangosfa eithriadol sy’n dod i’r Ardd yn fuan: Y Ffrog (Wisg) Calico, prosiect tecstilau cymunedol arloesol sy’n dathlu hunaniaeth Gymreig, treftadaeth a chymuned trwy gelf brodwaith.
Comisiynwyd Gwisg Calico Cymru fel prosiect cymunedol gan Amgueddfa Cymru. Mae’r artist arweiniol a’r arbenigwraig mewn tecstilau cyfranogol, Menna Buss, wedi gwahodd Stitching Botanicals, dan arweiniad Sue Quirk, i gyfrannu
Gwisg Calico Cymru yw’r cyntaf mewn cyfres o brosiectau ‘merch’ sy’n tarddu o’r Red Dress byd-enwog gan Kirstie Macleod. Bellach yn ei 15fed flwyddyn, mae’r Red Dress wedi teithio’r byd gan wahodd lleisiau pobl – yn bennaf menywod – i adrodd eu straeon am ryfel, heddwch a gwydnwch trwy frodwaith.
Mae Menna yn galw ar gyfranogwyr Gwisg Calico Cymru i archwilio eu cysylltiad â Chymru – gorffennol, presennol a dyfodol:
“Gan ystyried y cydweithrediad gydag Amgueddfa Cymru, roeddwn i eisiau creu gwisg werin wedi’i hail-ddychmygu, ar gyfer a gan gymunedau Cymru. Math o gapsiwl amser gwisgadwy, wedi’i addurno â brwdfrydedd a syniadau pobl!”
Cafodd y ffrog wreiddiol, a gomisiynwyd yn 2022, ei haddasu gan Menna i gynnwys siaced ‘betgwn’ wlân Cymreig wedi’i theilo a sgert liwiedig yn naturiol, gan roi’r glas trawiadol iddi.
Yn ystod preswyliad wythnos o hyd yn yr Ardd Fotaneg Genedlaethol, bydd Stitching Botanicals yn cyfrannu dros 30 o frodweithiau yn darlunio mathau gwahanol o narsisws, er mwyn dathlu blodyn cenedlaethol Cymru, y genhinen Pedr. Bydd y rhain yn cael eu gwnïo gyda’i gilydd i ffurfio ‘bustle’ (ategyn i godi’r cefn) prydferth ar y sgert.
Bydd aelodau’r grŵp ar gael drwy gydol yr wythnos i siarad gydag ymwelwyr am eu profiadau o gymryd rhan ym myd y celfyddydau tecstil. Bydd Menna hefyd yn ymuno â ni i rannu straeon a mewnwelediadau am y prosiect, yn ogystal â’i gynlluniau ar gyfer y daith barhaus o amgylch Cymru.
Bydd yr arddangosfa wedi’i lleoli yn yr Oriel ac ar gael i’w gweld gan ymwelwyr â’r Ardd o’r 3–8 Hydref.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
National Botanic Garden of Wales, Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire, SA32 8HN Carmarthen, United Kingdom, National Botanic Gardens, Carmarthen, SA32 8, United Kingdom
