‘Hiraeth’ is a Welsh word that is said to be untranslatable. It speaks of a yearning need, a longing for home and for Wales. This project speaks of a ‘hiraeth’ for the sea as well as home, and how it is vitally important for communities as well as individuals.
This project was created when I was living in Newport, a city in which the loss of the sea was catastrophic. I felt that the sea was just as important to Newport and the community, as it was to me. Being away from the sea I felt something close to uncomfortable, almost a sense of being trapped. Through exploring these feelings as a mermaid would, a traditionally mystical being, it allowed me to realise the magic I felt for the sea as a child but contrast it with the underlying tragedy of the real world that is included in these fairytale stories but only becomes clear as an adult.