WALES’ TOP ARTISTS
Selected by BEN GELSTHORPE
HOLLY DAVEY
Soon to be presenting a major solo exhibition at artist-led gallery/resource g39, Davey follows this show with a string of commissions at Plymouth Museum, National Museum of Wales and Locws, Swansea. Often working closely with the histories and memory imbued in objects, places and people, Davey’s work is complex, enriching and constantly evolving. Her exhibition opens Fri 10 Nov, not to be missed.
Info: www.hollydavey.com
CECILE JOHNSON SOLIZ
As the winner of the coveted Gold Medal for Fine Art at this year’s National Eisteddfod in Ynys Môn, Johnson Soliz creates drawings and sculptural works, which through processes like wrapping, rolling, twisting and curling, she encourages us to consider forms and objects with wonderment. Her reflexive works embody creativity itself, which have recently been exhibited at Galerie Simpson, Swansea and Oriel Myrddin, Carmarthen.
Info: www.cecilejohnsonsiliz.net
ANTHONY SHAPLAND
On the cusp of major presentations at Oriel Davies, Newtown and Oriel Plas Glyn y Weddw, Porthmadog Shapland creates understated, visually stunning films that have a burning poetry to them. A recent film, The Hand that Makes the Sound (2016) traced the life and work Alan Cavley, infamous Cardiff Sign Writer of Clare Road, with sensitive poise.
Info: www.anthonyshapland.com
HELEN SEAR
Sear works with through the lens media, with her recent body of work the rest is smoke…Â currently exhibiting at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea, having premiered at the Venice Biennale in 2015. As an artist who makes that perfect mix of aesthetically beautiful and conceptually rigorous work, Sear’s work incorporates flora of her local Usk.
Info: www.helensear.com
MEGAN BROADMEADOW
Using folklore, scientific discoveries and disco culture to create her choreographed films, dynamic installations and inherently joyful sculpture, Broadmeadow is one of Wales’ most exciting artists. Broadmeadow won the Mark Tanner Sculpture Award in 2015 and secured a commission for the last Cardiff Contemporary Art Festival, creating an installation that explores the mystery of the Antikythera Mechanism; a 2,000-year-old piece of technology that was found in the Aegean Sea, which has been attributed as the world’s earliest computer.
Info: www.meganbroadmeadow.com
ANDREW COOPER
Working across the public realm, and in variety of spaces with installation, video and print, Cooper is constantly evolving and refining his materials of choice having initially trained as a glass etcher. Former assistant to Eduardo Paolozzi, Cooper draws on architecture, history, the body and politics to create his works. Catch his solo exhibition for the 10th anniversary show at Elysium Gallery in Swansea from Sat 28 Oct – Sat 18 Nov.
Info: www.arts.wales/5102
LAURA FORD
Ford makes enigmatic sculpture that delights with a wry smile. An inherently creative approach to materials, and diverse in type, ranging from textiles to metals. A particular highlight was a recent exhibition at gallery/ten showing the drawings from which the sculptures (or characters) are borne out of.
Info: www.lauraford.net
LIAM O’CONNOR (AKA CASPER WHITE)
O’Connor is a diverse portrait painter, creating works with vibrant heightened colour. Recently producing a series of portraits resting on hand painted silk hangings that won him the Tony Goble Award at the Abergavenny Eisteddfod last year. Currently O’Connor recently won the BP Travel Award from BP Portrait Prize looking into representing club culture in Berlin and Ibiza.
Info: www.liamoconnor.net
RABAB GHAZOUL
Ghazoul is a socially engaged artist, who works with people as a large part of her practice. For her participation in the Iraq Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2015, she created a series of videos of different people reading, responding to and interpreting Tony Blair’s testimony at the Chilcot Inquiry. Always politically driven, Ghazoul was behind the Cardiff Without Culture? campaigns of 2016 following news of Cardiff Council’s intention to decimate its contributions to the arts.
Info: www.rahabghazoul.com
JAMES RICHARDS
Representing Wales at the Venice Biennale this year, Richards is one of the most exciting contemporary artists of his generation. Working primarily with film, sound and print, his work is often smeared across galleries, reconfiguring his layered work for each presentation. Catch his work at the Venice Biennale until Sun 26 Nov, or at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff in 2018.
Info: www.james-richards.co.uk