Epona, National Eisteddfod of Wales, 2020

Epona includes work by 31 artists who have all exhibited in Y Lle Celf at the National Eisteddfod of Wales before.

In June 1940 Epynt (grid reference SN961464) was commandeered by the War Office. The 400 people who had been farming the mountain and the seven valleys were dispersed and the area was turned into an army firing range. To this day, in the main, the hills continue to be under Ministry of Defence control and are closed to the public.

The name Epynt is derived from the Brythonic word epo-s ‘horse(s)’ – that also gives us the Celtic goddess name Epona – and hynt meaning ‘where horses roam’.

As well as being the protector of horses, Epona was the goddess of fertility and is associated with Rhiannon in the Mabinogi. In turn Rhiannon (the Great Queen) was considered to be the goddess of rebirth, wisdom, transformation and artistic inspiration.

Bearing in mind the Epynt clearances of 80 years ago, artists were invited to imagine: what sort of world you would like to see after C-19 has passed.

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