Shauna McGowan's Machi

A small slender girl came into studio last night carrying ornate and colourful screen prints on leather. They almost dwarfed her but as she laid them out on the studio table it became clear that Shauna McGowan's first solo exhibition "Machi" is a labour of love.

Her grandfather's long battle with cancer proved the starting point. A memory of the two of them watching "Jason and the Argonauts" together when she was a child triggered the idea for this exhibition. "Machi" is Greek for strength. She says her grandfather's battle with the illness was courageous, and reminded her of Jason's many brave battles. Mythology and family history collide.

"Machi" opens next Thursday at the Ards Arts Centre in Newtownards and runs for the month of September.