Swansea College of Art student designs trophies for Gwobrau’r Selar

University of Wales Trinity St David (UWTSD) student, Owain Sparnon will design the trophies for this year’s Gwobrau’r Selar event – a prestigious Welsh language music awards event.

Originally from Neath, Owain is a third year Fine Art student at the University’s Swansea College of Art.  In 2017, Owain won the Jane Phillips Residency Award at Swansea’s Mission Gallery and went on to win second prize in the Urdd Eisteddfod’s Art Medal twice. In 2018, he won the Under-19 Art competition at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Brecon and Radnorshire.

Reacting to the opportunity to design this year’s awards, Owain Sparnon, said: “I am very grateful for this opportunity and proud to be able to work on these awards this year. I’ve really enjoyed the process of creating and connecting the project to my art.

“I find it very interesting to work in this way and as I design and make the awards I’ve enjoyed listening to music that inspires me. Intentionally, the images are not literal with the intention that they are open to interpretation of what the work may convey.”

Gwobrau’r Selar are nationally recognised accolades that are awarded during an annual ceremony organised by the Welsh music magazine, Y Selar. Owain Schiavone is the event organiser.  He commented: “It has been a pleasure to work with the University over the years and to offer one of the talented art students the opportunity to create the awards for the Cellar Awards. Once again this year it is great to see a promising young artist create the prizes, and all the winners will surely treasure them.”

UWTSD also has a wider partnership with Gwobrau’r Selar as the University also sponsors the Special Contribution category.  Gwenllian Beynon, Senior Lecturer in Art and co-ordinator of the Welsh language provision at UWTSD’s Swansea College of Art, noted: “I am delighted that we are able to support Gwborau’r Selar again this year. The COVID Period makes things very difficult for the arts and so being able to be part of celebrating the arts through these awards online this year is great.

“These awards also give a young artist the opportunity to create the awards and use art to do this. Every year the student reacts in a different way and this year again we see a unique response from Owain Sparnon.”

Professor Sue Williams of Swansea College of Art added: “It gives me the greatest of pleasure to see our fine art student Owain Sparnon being presented with the opportunity to design the awards for the annual Gwobrau’r Selar.

“It’s important for fine art students to experience working alongside other art forms using their own visual language and seeing their practice being supported through such collaborations.  It not only challenges their practice but also endorses the importance of supporting individual creativity. Owain’s work highlights the importance of process and context, added to which he wholeheartedly reveals the necessity for passion and commitment.”

For further information on the Art and Design courses offered at UWTSD, please visit https://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/art-design/fine-art/

And for more information on Gwobrau’r Selar, please visit https://selar.cymru/