Llwyau Cariad, Welsh Lovespoons
Initiated by Plas Glyn-y-Weddw in partnership with Pen Llyn artists Junko Mori & John Egan the project reflects on the vital role of trees and woodlands and our connections to and responsibilities for these ecosystems.
This collection of contemporary Welsh love spoons explores connection, care, and place, reimagining traditional symbols and forms.
Approaching a traditional artefact through a contemporary lens is a recurring pattern in my work. I deeply admire traditional Welsh love spoons, and this collection is my personal response to them, reinterpreting their forms and symbolism while celebrating the craft, meaning, and heritage they hold.
The beech is central to the collection, acting as a shared material that links makers and practices. Shaped into spoons, it carries memory, care, and a sense of collective unity.
The Link, Y Dolen
‘Linked Together’
‘The Link’ explores connection through the form of a linked chain. Each link is carved as part of the spoon itself, suggesting continuous and inseparable bonds. The chain becomes a symbol of unity and mutual support, reflecting how people are linked together through relationships. Carved from beech, the piece also carries the presence of the shared tree within the wider collection, reinforcing the idea that individual connections exist within a larger network of care and community.
The Knot, Y Cwlwm
‘Eternal Love‘
‘The Knot’ reinterprets the Celtic knot symbolism often found in traditional Welsh lovespoons through a square knot, a sailing knot used to join two ropes. Traditionally valued for binding and connection, it symbolizes trust, commitment, and resilience. Its carved form evokes a bond that is both functional and eternal, reflecting the care and attention needed to sustain meaningful relationships.
The Rope, Y Raff
‘Two lives. become one’
‘The Rope’ represents the intertwining of two lives. Traditionally symbolised through a twisted stem, this piece transforms that motif into form, the spoon itself becomes a rope, shifting symbolism from decoration to structure and reimagining it in a contemporary context.