Yvonne Bilan-Wallace

Gryla and her Congress draws inspriation from Icelandic folklore I heard during a visit there. The trolls of Iceland must avoid sunlight or risk being turned into stone. Gryla, the feared mother of all trolls, gathers her congress of ravens in a desperate attempt to save her children from the endless light of summer. She hopes the cleaver birds will steal the shinning sun from the sky, restoring the darkess trolls need to survive. Blending myths, my imagination and some dark humour, the piece explores themes of survival, transformation, a mothers love and the fragile balance between light and shadow. 

In this art work, kozo paper is felted into wool and stitched. A photo I took of Gryla's statue was inkjet printed on silk and enhanced with silk paint. Felting paper into wool offers wonderful texture and a surface that can be painted and drawn on. I often combine these two media.