10th Aug – Sun 28th Sept 2025

‘Ceridwen and the Cauldron’

Gesso and chalk pen, on blue linen

The exhibition focuses on the animal elements from the Welsh folktale Ceridwen and the Cauldron – a story of magic, transformation, and a powerful enchantress. It is one of the eleven tales from The Mabinogion, a collection of early Welsh stories compiled between the 12th and 14th centuries from much older oral traditions.

Charlotte chose the colour blue as it linked well to woad – a plant used for body-painting and tattooing by the Celts, and linen, as this was a popular fabric worn during Celtic times. Kirrimuir also has a close connection to this fabric, as it historically had a booming linen industry.

The interpretation of the theme of ‘Connection‘ is rooted in ancestral storytelling and the cultural links between the Celtic nations of Wales, Ireland and Scotland. Through this exhibition, Charlotte offers the people of Kirriemuir a glimpse into Wales, specifically into one of its oldest folktales.

This work highlights the importance of remembering and sharing our stories: for ourselves, for future generations, and to help preserve our unique cultural identities.

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THE TALE OF CERIDWEN AND THE CAULDRON

The enchantress Ceridwen sets about brewing Awen (a potion of inspiration) for her son Morfran. The potion will take a year and a day to mature, so Ceridwen calls a servant boy – Gwion Bach, to guard the cauldron for her. Once that year and a day had passed… a single drop of golden potion spills onto Gwion’s hand. At once, he feels the magic flow through his veins, and he fears Ceridwen’s mighty wrath. He swiftly transforms himself into a hare, flees the house and races away across the land.

When Ceridwen returns, sees the abandoned cauldron, and the rest of the potion now dull and grey within…she becomes furious. She looks to the horizon, transforms herself into a greyhound and tears away across the land in pursuit of Gwion.

Gwion sees Ceridwen coming, and transforms himself again, this time into a fish…and leaps into a river. In retaliation, Ceridwen turns herself into an otter, and dives into the river after him. Seeing this, Gwion changes again, this time into a little bird and flies up into the sky. Furious Ceridwen turns herself into a sparrowhawk, and surges towards the little bird with her outstretched talons. Just when it looks as if Gwion will surely be caught… he finally transforms into a tiny grain of wheat and falls straight through Ceridwen’s claws, all the way to the ground. But clever Ceridwen will not be bested, and she swoops down, finds the grain of wheat and eats Gwion whole!

Upon turning back into a human, she finds that she has become pregnant. She resolves to kill the baby when he is born. After nine months, she gives birth to an infant, but the baby is so fair of face, that she can’t bear to kill him. Instead, she throws him into the sea, where he is rescued by a Celtic prince. The baby eventually goes on to become Taliesen, the greatest of all the Welsh poets.

About Artist

Charlotte Formosa is a Welsh artist based in Cardiff, specialising in acrylic painting and fine-line illustration. She is deeply inspired by Celtic tales, folklore and the beauty of the natural world.

After graduating from Cardiff Metropolitan University with a BA (Hons) Fine Art , she spent five years travelling the world. During that time, Charlotte has been commissioned for artworks in Australia, Colombia, Mexico, and the USA, as well as here in the UK – in England, Wales, and now Scotland.

Charlotte says, “Returning to my hometown after years of gathering experiences and inspiration has given me the grounding I needed to establish a creative base. Over the past few years, I’ve been reconnecting with my ancestral roots, delving into the ancient magic and rich folklore of Wales.”

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