First to show in our re-opened Café Bar gallery is artist Molly Fitch’s exhibition – Bith ann am Breathan: Life in Layers – presenting beautiful and intricate hand-cut pictures inspired by the Hebrides…
“Tha gach dealbh air a ghearradh a-mach le sgian-chiùird. ‘Se doigh saothail a th’ann ach ‘s toil leam soillearachd na pìosan ‘nuair a tha iad deiseal. ‘Sann a Newcastle a tha mi ach bha mi a fuireach air Eilean na Muc airson naoi bliadhna mas d’thainig mi do Scalpaigh na Hearadh ann an 2018.
“Mar a h-uile duine eile tha fhios agam gur e àite sònraichte a th’anns na h-eileanan an Iar. Tha mi air lòrg dachaigh, blàths is coibhneas ‘sa choimhearsnachd, innleachd agus so-chlaonadh. Tha mi a feuchainn ri glacadh cruth is dathan, an tìr is na h-ainmhidhean, na m’obair. Tha gach dealbh air a sheulachadh agus le àir air a chùl.”
“All my pictures are made of layers of paper which I cut by hand with a craft knife. It is a painstaking process, but I love the clarity of the finished pieces.
“Originally from Newcastle, I lived for nine years on the Isle of Muck in the Small Isles before moving to Scalpay, Harris in 2018. Like everyone who comes here, I know the Hebrides to be a very special place.
“I’ve found my home on these islands in the warmth and kindness of community, the ingenuity and the resilience. I try to capture the shapes and colours of the landscapes and animals in my work. All my pieces are limited edition, signed and numbered on the back.”
