Dathan Ceilteach | Celtic Colours

Cinn-latha: Didòmhnaich 5 Gearran - Didòmhnaich 2 Giblean
Uair: 10m-4f
Àite: Seòmar Hawthorn, Ionad Achadh Na Creige
Aois: Gach aois
Cosgais: Saor

Taisbeanadh Ealain

Dates: Sunday 5th February - Sunday 2nd April
Times: Open daily 10am-4pm
Place: Silver Birch Gallery, The Rockfield Centre
Age: All ages
Cost: Free

Art exhibition

Tachartas cur air bhog | Launch event

Disathairne 4 Gearran 6f-8f | Saturday 4th February 6pm-8pm

Leis a’ chudrom air stuthan nàdarra agus dòighean dathaidh nàdarra, tha an taisbeanadh seo a’ rannsachadh na tha cosmhail eadar cànain an àite agus ceàird dèanamh nan dathan.

Tha an taisbeanadh seo a’ cur an cèill giollachd mhall agus toradh inntinneach caochladh co-obraichean-ealain leis a’ phrìomh-luchd-ealain Deborah Gray agus Thomas Keyes, a chaidh brosnachadh le Aibidil Cheilteach nan Craobh, a tha co-cheangailte ri aibidil Ogham agus ris an t-seann Ghàidhlig. Tha an taisbeanadh a’ tarraing bho luchd-ealain eadar-nàiseanta bho air feadh na cruinne, a riaraicheas an dualchas air dèanamh dhathan nàdarra agus mar a tha sin a’ fàs an-diugh gus buaidh a thoirt air cleachdaidhean cruthachail a tha nas fhallaine is nas fhiosraichte.

Focusing on nature-based materials and natural dyeing techniques, this exhibition explores the parallels between indigenous language and the craft of making colours.

The exhibition presents the slow process and fascinating result of various collaborative artworks by lead artists Deborah Gray and Thomas Keyes, which use the Celtic Tree Alphabet, connected to the Ogham alphabet and Old Irish language (a precursor of Gaelic), as an inspiration. The show also draws from international artists from across the globe, who share their heritage of natural colour production and how it is developing today to inform more environmentally and socially conscious creative practices.

Deborah Gray

‘S e neach-ealain aodaich is dathadair nàdarra a tha ann an Deborah Gray a tha a’ fuireach san Òban, agus ‘s i tè de phrìomh-luchd-ealain a’ phròiseict.

A bharrachd air stiùireadh lios nan dathan còmhla ri buidheann shaor-thoileach ionadail, fad seusan 2022, bha Deborah an ceann Seisean-obrach Clò-bhualadh Luibheach san t-Sultain 2022, far an do riaraich i sgilean is eòlas air dòigh mhall air dathadh nàdarra a’cleachdadh greimeachadh, ceangal ri chèile agus goil airson dathan falaichte a chlò-bhualadh à lusan cumanta a dh’fhàsas san àite.

Deborah Gray is a textile artist and natural dyer based in Oban, and is one of the lead practitioners of the project.

As well as managing the dye garden with a local volunteer group, for the 2022 season, Deborah ran a Botanical Printing Workshop in September 2022, where she shared skills and knowledge of a slow process of natural dyeing which involves mordanting, bundling and boiling to print hidden colours of locally grown familiar plants.

Thomas Keyes

Tha Thomas Keyes na sgrìobhadair graffiti, na dhèanadair craicinn agus na dhealbhadair làmh-sgrìobhainne a tha a’ fuireach ann an Cromba san Eilean Dubh agus ‘s e fear de phriomh-luchd-ealain a’ phròiseict.

Airson a’ phròiseict, bha Thomas an ceann dà sheisean làn-latha Cùrsa Dealbhachadh Làmh-sgrìobhainn Cheilteach ann an Ionad Ach na Creige san t-Sultain 2022. Anns gach seisean, riaraich e sgilean is eòlas air an dòigh air dealbh no làmh-sgrìobhainn a chruthachadh ann an nòs eileanach nam meadhan-aoisean, a’ cleachdadh craicnean-sgrìobhaidh fèidh agus buill-acainn an ama leithid cuilc gheàrrte le làimh, pinn-ite agus sligean feusgain, le dathan nàdarra deanta air cairt daraich, guirmean, beithe, crotal (corcar), cailc-ruadh agus copar.

Thomas Keyes is a graffiti writer, parchment maker and manuscript illuminator based in Cromarty on the Black Isle, and is one of the lead practitioners of the project.

For the project, Thomas ran two full-day Celtic Manuscript Design Course sessions at The Rockfield Centre in September 2022. In each session, he shared skills and knowledge of the process of creating a mediaeval style insular book illumination or manuscript using deerskin parchments and traditional tools such as hand-cut reeds, feather quills and mussel shells, with natural pigments made from oak bark, woad, silver birch, lichen (cudbear), ochres and copper.

Naoko Mabon

‘S e neach-tasgaidh a tha ann an Naoko Mabon a tha a’ fuireach san Òban. Rugadh is thogadh i ann am Fukuoka, Iapan agus tha i a’ fuireach ann an Alba o chionn 2011. Bidh Naoko ag obair còmhla ri daoine le ghrunn eachdraidhean, ciùirdean is cultaran airson caochladh sheòrsaichean de phròiseactan ealain a dhèanamh.

Naoko Mabon is an Oban-based curator in contemporary visual art. She was born and raised in Fukuoka, Japan and has lived in Scotland since 2011. Naoko works with people from different backgrounds, professions and cultures to make various forms of art projects.