Mel Awen (nee Kirkham), Artist and Educator. After gaining her MA (with distinction) in Fine Art she worked with performance based practices and digital media. Exhibitions include Dance 4, Showroom, Nottdance, Trampoline, Surface Gallery, Derby University, Angel Row, The Phoenix, NTU Bonington Gallery (solo), Tate Exchange (2018), Nottingham Contemporary (Zebrario Residency) 2019, Mid Wales Arts 25, Cyfarthfa 25.

Her works centre around decline, loss, preservation and hope. Based in West Wales, she feels a deep connection with her spiritual home. For the past two years she has been building an off grid home with her husband (www.recovereden.com), dysgu siarad Cymraeg (ofnadwy) (learning to speak Welsh) and developing new skills such as ceramics.

Before moving to Wales, Awen (Kirkham) was a founding member of Outsider Artist Collective and had a collaborative practice working with allotment sites and community gardens in Nottingham and Southwark creating solargraphs called Under One Sky.  Also working in collaboration with Yasmin Baddley developing communication systems with anonymous acts (t)heArt works, (www.t-heart.works)

Cyfarthfa 2025

CELF CANO CYMRU The Plight of the Curlews 2025

Nottingham Contemporary Zebrario Residency 2019

Dwell Time 2019

Tate Exchange - Tate Modern 2018

Lace Market Gallery 2016

Backlit Associate Member; Nottingham

The Newbridge Project Associate Member; Newcastle

Commoners Fair; community based working from Primary Studios; Nottingham