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The Welsh mythological goddess Rhiannon is the latest subject for the Valleys Street Art Project and her image now adorns a property on Newport Road, Bedwas.

Matt Dey, the project’s founder, said the latest mural, created by London-based artist Amy Hadland was its biggest artwork yet .

Set-up in 2023, the project seeks ‘legal walls’ for fellow artists to paint.

Matt explained: “I was sitting looking at a very ugly plain wall, that for my entire life, I’ve known it to look like that.

 “Why doesn’t someone paint these walls?” 

Since its founding, several murals across the borough have been created, allowing volunteer artists to express themselves while being funded by charitable donations and council grants.

For the project’s Rhiannon mural, lots of investment has been put in, which Matt described as a “big gamble”.

“I got to be brave and confident and trust the project and what it does,” he said.

“The bigger the wall is, the better the artwork is, and more people see and appreciate it”

Rhiannon being painted by Amy Hadland, a full-time artist from London, who was introduced to the Valley Street Art Project at an arts festival in Cheltenham.

 “I wanted to bring a modern-day perception of her”, she said about her inspiration for the mural.

“I like what she represents, and all of the stories that have been told for hundreds of years that mean something to the community.

“Street art is so impactful and large-scale.”

Before becoming a street artist, Amy worked in a regular job where she struggled with narcolepsy and cataplexy that affected her well-being.

“When I worked in the corporate world, it was always a challenge for me to get through the day”

“Id fall asleep through anything you could possibly think of.”

Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder which can cause excessive daytime sleepiness and dizziness.

Those with narcolepsy commonly also have cataplexy, which is characterised by a sudden paralysis of muscles and loss of muscle tone, brought on usually by strong emotion like laughter.

“I first picked up the spray can in lockdown,” she said whilst recounting her discovery of street art.

”When I paint, it gives me relief from that. I’ve never made it through a full day without falling asleep, but now I can stay active and awake.

“It’s nice that I have found something that suits me and that I enjoy.”

Now a full time artist, Amy has murals across the country as well as overseas, most recently in Portugal and Romania.

Amy also engages in many community projects with younger people, particularly those from poorer backgrounds, teaching them how to design and paint street art.

“They are a fun and nice thing to do to give back to the community,” she added.

With the big investment that has been put into the upcoming mural, she reiterated the importance of the project’s goal and the need for more donations.

“The team has done such a great job putting this together

“It’s funded by the community, for the community. For it to keep going and to brighten up the space and to bring happiness to the local area, it needs to get more recognition.”

Who is Rhiannon?

A mythological goddess from the 12th/13th century, Rhiannon is a powerful symbol who represents the cycle of life, death, and the otherworld – as well as divine femininity, rebirth, horses, the moon, strength, courage, wisdom, connection to the earth, and transformation.