Coed Coexist: Symposium 14.09.24
Pen Llŷn artists Junko Mori and John Egan initiated an ambitious project titled Coed / Coexist. This project drew attention to trees and woodlands, exploring our broader connections, desires, and reliance on these ecosystems while linking community, creativity, and environmental stewardship.
The launch of Coed / Coexist was a day-long symposium that brought together cultural, scientific, and local perspectives, sharing individual interests and knowledge. The event was designed to ignite ideas and act as a catalyst for the future development of the project, with aspirations to celebrate the local area and the communities based in Pen Llŷn.
It was envisaged that beyond the day of the symposium, Junko Mori, John Egan, and Plas Glyn-y-Weddw would develop Coed / Coexist into an ambitious collaborative proposal to showcase new creative work and offer public and community engagement in and around Plas Glyn-y-Weddw in 2026.
© 2025 Gareth Jenkins Photography, Plas Glyn-y-Weddw. All rights reserved.
Speakers
Daloni Metcalfe Owen
Daloni is originally from the Conwy Valley, but has lived in Llŷn for many years. She has five children, is the owner of Cwt Tatws in Tudweiliog, and has been a television and radio broadcaster for over thirty five years. Daloni has a strong interest in Welsh modern art.
Junko Mori & John Egan
Junko Mori was born in Yokohama, Japan in 1974. Her core concept, “growing forms through repetition” evolved around graduation from Camberwell College of Arts, London in 2000. She simplified her practice and developed more sculptural forms through using traditional blacksmithing techniques. She set up her workshop in Pen Llŷn in 2010, where she is totally surrounded by inspirational nature. Her works are in many international museums, including the British Museum, National Museum of Scotland and Honolulu Museum Art.
John Egan: Making Little is grown out of a deep appreciation of the natural environment, and the design is directly linked to it. He seeks to make beautiful long lasting objects and one off pieces, thereby locking carbon into each object made. He only uses locally sourced material, which means the footprint of every object is small and works in harmony with its surroundings. The environment and his impact on it, are his guiding principles and shape his designs.
Gwenan Griffiths
Gwenan is from Tudweiliog. After a period away at university in Cardiff where she gained an honours degree in Fine Art, she returned to Pen Llŷn. She has worked for Bangor University since 2014 and has been the Ecoamgueddfa Llŷn Project Manager since 2023. She is responsible for the day to day management of the project and developing the resources to promote this special area.
Dafydd Wynne Finch
Dafydd is a grassland farmer. However, interspersed in the farmland are areas of both coniferous woodland and deciduous woodland. These three distinct zones are totally separate from each other while two contain a single species of a single age - Ryegrass on the farmland, Sitka Spruce in the coniferous woodland. The deciduous woodland contains multiple tree species but is also of a fairly uniform age. There is little discernible interaction between the areas and aside from the deciduous woodlands there is scant diversity of flora and fauna. Dafydd is on a journey to see how he can evolve the situation to increase diversity, interaction, resilience and uses – to create greater abundance.
Dave Lamacraft
Dave Lamacraft is Lichen & Bryophyte Senior Specialist at Plantlife. Whether rare or common, Dave Lamacraft loves all lichens. Often found with his nose pressed against trees and rocks, he can find hidden rarities in the smallest nooks and crannies. Dave's passion has inspired countless others over the years to bring management to woodlands and other habitats that safeguard the future of these enthralling organisms.
Cass Crocker
Cass Crocker is Nature Connections Officer at Plantlife. Cass champions a people-centered approach to protecting and restoring nature. She has a background in the arts and joined Plantlife in 2020 engaging communities through green space and meadow restoration projects. In 2023, she developed NRW’s people engagement strategy for the Natur am Byth programme, which unites 9 environmental eNGOs to deliver Wales’ largest species recovery programme. Cass advocates for pro-environmental collaboration uniting all factions of society and is currently developing Plantlife’s People and Culture Strategy.
Deanne Doddington Mizen
Deanne Doddington Mizen is a figurative painter and sculptor based in Bethesda, North Wales. With a focus on the human form and our innate connection to the land, her practice explores what can be achieved using local and sustainable natural materials, such as wool, slate waste and wood.
Manon Awst
Manon Awst is a Welsh artist who creates sculptures, performances and site-specific artworks woven with ecological narratives. From the patterns of peatlands to the textures of the intertidal zone, she explores ways in which materials stick to and transform locations and communities. She was recently granted a Henry Moore Foundation Artist Award and is currently a Future Wales Fellow, as part of Arts Council Wales and Natural Resources Wales’
Creative Nature programme. For the Coed Coexist event, she shared her creative research on local peaty landscapes.
Dan Bristow
Dan Bristow is a landscape designer based in Bethesda, Eryri/Snowdonia.
His gardens are characterised by being both bold and playful yet strongly contextual, and for exploiting opportunities to use rare plants within ecological niches. He is influenced by fine art, craft, culture and architecture as well as horticulture and botany.
Guardian article featuring Dan’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show Garden, 2024.
Lea Connelly
"I have worked in the forestry/conservation field for over 20 years. A big emphasis is on getting people and communities to connect and trees and nature have always been an important part of our work - everything from nursery groups learning through forest school sessions to partnership projects to protect and improve internationally important woodlands.
As part of my work now I lead Biodiversity work in Gwynedd including a tree line project which is part of the work of the Gwynedd Nature Partnership.
Lon Goed is a unique habitat and the project looks at improving the connectivity of the habitat on this side of the lake and also interpreting the nature that calls this habitat home. New art works will be commissioned as part of this interpretation to reflect the importance of this site."
Film by David Nash
David Nash is a renowned sculptor who lives and works in Blaenau Ffestiniog. Recognised for his mastery of wood and natural materials, his work reflects a deep connection to the environment, often employing organic forms and the inherent qualities of his chosen materials. His sculptures range from monumental installations to intricate, intimate pieces and they resonate with a primal energy, capturing the essence of growth, decay, and regeneration. Nash's artistic journey is a testament to his profound understanding of the natural world, where each piece is a dialogue between human intervention and the forces of nature.