The Living Levels team commissioned Melanie Bastier and myself to create a willow sculpture. It needed to depict someone who lived, worked, played or worshipped on the Gwent levels. We ran 3 workshops with local people to gather information about their history. This informed the options for the willow sculpture, leading the Living Levels team to choose a female brinker.
Our figure is inspired by Anne Williams, who owned land in Whitson and Goldcliff. A ‘brinker’ is a person who owns land on one side of a reen, wall or pill and is responsible for its maintenance. Traditionally, a brinker would use a scythe to clear vegetation to keep waterways open and prevent flooding.
