Disabled artist showcases solo exhibition as more disabled people access creative funding

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Public Life
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Thanks to a grant from the Arts Council of Wales, Delphi Campbell was able to showcase her first solo art show where she creatively explores her illnesses

The Unwanted Flesh exhibition features giant fabric body parts and a thumping heartbeat soundtrack. Credit: Maleeha Suhail

With more disabled people accessing funds from arts organisations, the multi-disciplinary artist Delphi Campbell showcases her first solo exhibition where she explores her chronic illnesses.

After securing money from the Arts Council of Wales, Campbell is hosting her first solo show titled Unwanted Flesh in Roath where she explores her relationship with chronic illness.  

The exhibition began on 28 September and is on-going until 10 November at Cardiff MADE, an arts organisation, venue and hub.

According to the Arts Council of Wales’ latest annual report, 117 awards were given to D/deaf or disabled people via lottery funded programmes last year, with over £4 million being spent.

The report said that a fifth of all grants awarded in 2022-2023 went to D/deaf or disabled people when applying for funding with approximately 41 awards granted worth half a million pounds.

Also, in 2022-2023, 44 awards were given out to organisations led by D/deaf or disabled people, which was almost double the figure of 27 handed out in 2021-2022.

Talking about her own experience working with the Arts Council of Wales, Campbell said they were and are very supportive. “In terms of the actual application, I had a lot of support to help me get through it, especially the parts I found more challenging because of my disabilities,” she said.

Campbell chooses soft and textured materials to create parts of the human body. Credit: Maleeha Suhail

Discussing the inspirations behind her work, the disabled artist said: “Unwanted Flesh is all about my body.” She used textured materials and fabrics to create giant bodily organs where pink dominates her work.

The 26-year-old said she has loved the colour pink since she was five years old and that it has this fleshy quality that she really loves.  “When we think about the insides of human beings, we’re thinking reds and pinks,” Campbell said.

To encourage more disabled people to pursue art, Campbell said: “The number one thing is just to keep making. It doesn’t matter if all you can manage is a ten-second sketch once a week.”