The Full Story
About
Rhian Lewis is a multidisciplinary artist based in Cardiff, currently in her final year of the Artist Designer: Maker degree at Cardiff Metropolitan University’s CSAD. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018, she uses her practice to explore themes of resilience, self reflection, and accessibility in art.
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Specialising in cyanotype printing, Rhian harnesses light-sensitive processes to create striking, atmospheric compositions. She also experiments with alternative photography techniques, pushing the boundaries of traditional image-making. Beyond print, she works with glass and clay, translating photographic imagery into tactile, sculptural forms that invite interaction.
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Between 2004 and 2013, Rhian ran the jewellery business Girl from Blue City, known for its playful replica sweet and biscuit designs. This background in craft and small-scale production continues to influence her creative approach, blending nostalgia, material experimentation, and storytelling.
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A passionate advocate for accessibility in art and education, Rhian’s work challenges traditional barriers, ensuring creative spaces are open to all, she seeks to foster a more inclusive dialogue, making art an experience that is both tactile and transformative.
Disability
Rhian uses art as a means of exploring and expressing her experience of disability, particularly the impact of multiple sclerosis on her body and mind. Though diagnosed in 2018, her illness began years earlier, and the long, uncertain wait for answers took a profound toll on her mental health.
Through cyanotype prints, alternative photography and glass, she navigates themes of fragility, resilience, and adaptation, translating personal struggles into tangible forms. Her work often reflects the unpredictability of her condition—layering light, texture, and distortion to mirror the shifting nature of illness and identity.
By making her experiences visible, she not only processes her own journey but also challenges perceptions of disability, advocating for greater awareness and accessibility in the arts.
Education
Studying Artist Designer: Maker BA (Hons) at CSAD, Cardiff Metropolitan University has been a deeply transformative experience for Rhian. Now in her final year, she has embraced the opportunity to push her creative practice while also critically examining the accessibility of art education.
Her dissertation on the accessibility of the darkroom reflects both her passion for alternative photography and her commitment to making creative spaces more inclusive.
Returning to university has been particularly meaningful, serving as a cathartic and healing journey after experiencing her first MS relapse in 2001 during her initial time in higher education. This personal history fuels her proactive efforts to improve accessibility in the arts, ensuring future students—disabled and non-disabled alike—can thrive in creative environments without unnecessary barriers.
Photographic Practice
Discovering cyanotype printing in her first year at university was a pivotal moment for Rhian. Before then, she had assumed that working in a darkroom would not be viable due to her disability, but cyanotype—an alternative photographic process that relies on UV light rather than a traditional darkroom—allowed her to engage with printmaking in a way that felt both accessible and empowering.
Nature has always been a core inspiration in her work, particularly the often-overlooked details that many pass by without notice. She is fascinated by the perfect patterns and structures found in the natural world, from delicate leaf veins to intricate seed formations.
Through her cyanotype prints, she strives to capture and honor these hidden moments, hoping to do justice to the beauty and precision of nature while also challenging perceptions of accessibility in photographic practice.
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History
Rhian has a diverse and self-driven creative history, shaped by both passion and perseverance. She first developed an interest in visual storytelling while earning a BTEC National Diploma in Media Studies in 2001, where she was inspired by moving images and enjoyed experimenting with now-obsolete editing techniques.
In 2004, during a challenging period of her undiagnosed illness, she turned to creativity as both an emotional and financial lifeline, launching Girl from Blue City with just £40 in start-up funds. Teaching herself HTML to build a website—since hiring a professional was out of reach—she grew the business from scratch, eventually securing wholesale clients, including the Saatchi Gallery.
After closing the business, she pivoted to studying computer programming and built a career as a website developer, specialising in e-commerce. This varied background continues to inform her artistic practice, blending technical skill, adaptability, and a deep appreciation for craft and design.
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