Mhairi Treharne
Artist Statement
Paintings are inspired by motherhood, sacred places, and connect to a past in rural Canada and a present in Mid Wales.
I capture imagery and stories which have a sacred force. I am taken by dark and glittering scenes, rippling foliage, precious objects, and eternal maternal experiences.
I produce small wall-based paintings on worked surfaces which are sculptural and embued with time and craft. Surfaces are drilled, decoratively burned, and stitched with wire to form an integral frames.
I do varied commission work accross many surfaces and forms.
See my CV here
About
I was born in 1989 in Canada to a Scottish mother and Welsh father. I was raised in Minden - a rural town in Central Ontario. I still feel inspired by the marshlands, lakes, diverse forest and unyeilding granite of my Canadian childhood.
At sixteen, I left home to live in Japan for a year via the Rotary Exchange Program. Inspiration from that experience continue to wash over my work. Later, I lived in the Midwest of the United States and in the South West of England working as a technical designer for international clothing brands.
In my mid twenties I moved permanently to the United Kingdom, and completed a year of mentorship at The Newlyn School of Art in Cornwall. I have exhibited my work throughout the United Kingdom, presented two solo exhibitions, and have been featured in international publications.
In 2021, I became a mother - and in 2023, a mother of two. The experience of motherhood is a source of joy, growth, and inspiration. I am based in Builth Wells, Mid Wales.