Pittenweem Arts Festival – About the Artists
Find out more about the Neuk Collective artists exhibiting at Pittenweem Arts Festival!
Tom Bird
Tom Bird (they/them) is a Dundee-based writer and poet, and performer in poetry-music duo, 2 Stoned Birds. Their spoken word poetry often delves into fantasy, neurodivergence and trans identity, with warm honesty and hope. In 2022, they were the recipient of the Creative Non-Fiction award and over-all winner award at the SMHAF Writing Competition. In 2023, Tom won the title of East Coast Champion at the Loud Poets Slam East Coast Heat.
They are a shortlisted spoken word poet for Scottish Book Trust’s New Writers Award this year, and are working on towards their first poetry collection.
Exhibited at Pittenweem is a page poetry version of ‘Creature That Breathes’, a poem born out of personal experience and reflection about a sexual assault experience. Through intimate delivery and allegory, it explores the physical, psychological and emotional responses of coping mechanisms and trauma, while also discussing how the individual processes this experience and continue to live. Scan the QR code next to the poem to see a video of Tom performing it in their spoken word poetry film.
Find out more about Tom’s work:
Instagram: @tombirdwords
Spotify “2 Stoned Birds”
Gaelle Chassery
Gaelle Chassery is a multi-passionate artist based in Kilmartin Glen. She enjoys creating art inspired by nature, basing her creations on her love of natural patterns, the healing friendliness of nature, and the ordinary miracles of seasonal changes. Gaelle works with an endless variety of materials and her practice spans many forms and media. She also writes abundantly about the benefits of slowing down while taking the time to notice our inner and outer environment.
‘Soothing Storm’ is part of a series of paintings called ‘Coming Home’. Her paintings are created according to the Principles of Vedic Art founded by Curt Källman, an intuitive way of painting. Gaelle writes more about her painting process here on her blog.
Find out more about Gaelle’s work:
Instagram: @gaellechassery_soothing_art
Molly Kent
Based in Edinburgh, Molly is a graduate of Edinburgh College of Art, receiving a Master of Arts with First Class Honours.
Molly Kent is a textile artist who represents mental and physical health notions through mediums such as rug tufting and weaving. They portray contemporary existence regarding social media and internet living and how this affects our perception of self.
Nightmares portrays the artist’s emotions in regards to their nightmares, due to their CPTSD. Trapped within the confines of their bed, surrounded by swirling flames as smoke billows out above them.
Find out more about Molly’s work:
Instagram: @mollyhkent
Dani Kerr
Dani Kerr is a multi disciplinary artist based in Glasgow. Dani’s work features themes of the macabre contrasted with modern aesthetics, inspired by everything from pop culture to mythology. Currently, they manage DemonicEros on Etsy, selling their art and other handmade products. Dani hopes their work can help build community, inviting others to view their work on both a visual and human level.
Their work ‘Peat Potions’ was inspired by tales of Scottish folk lore. It depicts peat being thrown into a bucket of water. It was said one should do this when they suspect a neighbour has put a curse on your home.
Find out more about Dani’s work:
IG: @DemonicEros
Bel Pye
Bel Pye is a dynamic visual artist, writer, and performer based in Glasgow. After studying Contemporary Performance Practice at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Bel has thrived as a facilitator, performer, writer, and visual artist. Their work delves into the everyday art we create to navigate challenging times, focusing on small, accessible acts of protest against injustice. Bel’s practice is deeply rooted in the queer, mad, and chronically ill communities, emphasizing fatigue-informed approaches.
This September, Bel will debut their first solo show, “a soft place to land,” at the Project Ability gallery in Glasgow. The exhibition features textile sculptures meant to be touched, picked up, and played with, inviting visitors to engage with the soft, the silly, and the nonsensical.
Bel’s mini-quilt, ‘Holding it Together(ish)’ is made from offcuts of larger quilts, themselves made with recycled t-shirts. It will be available for sale later this year as part of a fundraiser for Medical Aid for Palestinians.
Find out more about Bel’s work:
Instagram: @chronic_queer
Emma Whigham
Emma is a visual artist based in the Scottish Borders. Her work involves experimenting with materials to explore recurring themes in an abstract way. She often deconstructs and reassembles material, creating work that embodies the dynamic interplay between spontaneity and intent. Exploring composition using the addition or subtraction of shapes, spaces and textures, she aims to introduce order, pulling the parts together to create cohesion within each piece.
Printmaking’s rich potential for investigating these themes has recently occupied her work which, at its heart, employs a tactile approach with which she seeks to understand the materials she uses and their capabilities.
Find out more about Emma’s Work:
Instagram: @emma.whigham
Map of the Autistic Brain
Also on display is ‘Map of the Autistic Brain (Tzipporah Campus)’, a limited A1 giclee print which raises funds for Neuk Collective’s work, available for £100 here as part of our crowdfunder, along with an exclusive zine.