HIRAETH /ˈhirˌīTH/ is a Welsh word with no direct English translation. It is a word that describes the feeling of longing for a home that never was. It is a combination of nostalgia, longing, homesickness, and grief towards a time, place, person, or memory that can never be brought back.
In her first solo show entitled HIRAETH, Cheryl Owen presents a collection of visual interpretations of her memories, friendships, and the places she went to before the pandemic forced us all to stay home. As Cheryl decides to start a new and unknown chapter in her life, she expresses the hiraeth she feels knowing that she cannot anymore go back to her pre-pandemic life— a period where she is most content and happy; a period where her spirit feels at home.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Cheryl Owen is a Manila-based visual artist, illustrator, and creative entrepreneur. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Santo Tomas with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts, Major in Advertising Arts in 2009.
After graduating, she pursued an advertising career until she left the industry in 2016. Since then, Cheryl has ventured on her own as a full-time artist exhibiting her works in various galleries in Manila and abroad.
Cheryl’s works are watercolor and oil paintings that are inspired by nature, the Divine Feminine, and the human psyche. She weaves her imagery with a touch of symbolism that speaks and connects to the viewer on an intimate level. Cheryl’s depiction of human bodies intertwined with elements of nature and scenic landscapes explores the relationship of humans and nature in modern times. Through her visuals she suggests that the metaphors of the natural world are teachings that could guide us on our journey back to our personal truth and towards spiritual rebirth.
