Luke Owain Boult takes a look at promising artistic talent from around Wales, and some of the many names likely to be popping up in 2017.
2016 has been an interesting year for the arts in Wales, with major celebrations like the Cardiff Contemporary visual arts festival and Artes Mundi bringing big names from the international and Welsh artistic communities together. Regular events like the National Eisteddfod and BEEP (Biennial Exhibition of Painting), and schemes like the Jerwood Painting Fellowships demonstrate an ongoing commitment to making Wales a place for artists to be allowed to hone their skills and get noticed by the larger community. With the year coming to an end then, it seems fitting to reflect upon the last year, and look ahead to the next, and the names to keep an eye out for.
Wales’ only large-scale contemporary international painting exhibition, BEEP, takes place every two years and features among its selection, a fair few interesting artists with connections to Wales. Catrin Llwyd, on display this year, is one such artist, has an interesting style that explores industrial landscapes and the mundane in an abstract and refreshing way. North Wales based Arron Kuiper’s work is also on exhibition. Using an innovative new 3D technique dubbed ‘Gel’ to create a 3D painting inside a transparent vessel, his work is unique and has hints of an almost childlike surrealism to it. Also exhibited are Daniel Crawshaw’s almost photographic paintings, heavily inspired by his travels throughout the Welsh countryside. The works capture the often bleak but epic nature of much of the Welsh landscape.
This year’s National Eisteddfod, as ever, was a good opportunity to discover rising talent. Richard Bevan received the Gold Medal for Fine Art for his 16mm films that include film projectors at the centre of the work. Lisa Krigel, a New Yorker based in Cardiff, won the Gold Medal for Craft and design with her 18 stoneware towers, which disassemble for personal use, while the very promising Gwenllian Llwyd’s work won the Young Artist’s Scholarship. Llwyd successfully evokes a sense of melancholy and a loss of what once was with her reflections on the decline in the number of chapels, in a work that combines pictures and film clips.
Mira Andres, a Swiss photographer living in Wales, has captured the attention of many recently with their almost otherworldly project The Black Crows of Borth, which focuses on the Ceredigion village’s maritime past and its women, nicknamed ‘The Black Crows’. The gallery includes a mix of coastal shots, and women and girls staring out in the camera’s direction creating a powerful and rather creepy sense of loss. Photography fans should also keep an eye out for the Cardiff International Festival of Photography, Diffusion as more details will be released later in the year. While Andres’ work investigates the people and places of Wales, talented painter Mike Jones’ (not to be confused with the Swansea valley based artist with the same name) series is inspired by the very best and worst landscapes that Wales has to offer. He is able to capture the harsh realities of many deprived areas, and the breath-taking beauty of others. With his masterful command of lighting and colour, it will be interesting to see where he takes his style.
Also adding to the rich tapestry of Welsh art, and one to keep your eye on, is Philip Morgan, an illustrator who’s worked with the likes of everyone from Spillers Records to Coca-Cola, and has decorated some of Cardiff’s walls with his instantly identifiable style. Cartoonish, surreal, clever, and well thought out, Morgan’s creations are a joy to behold. Similarly interesting is Lee John Phillips, whose Shed Project, where he illustrates the entire contents of his late grandfather’s shed, has captured the attention of many. The level of detail illustrated in the work is extraordinary, and it will be interesting to see how he takes his work in future. Jenny Hall, of Craftedspace, also demonstrated her ability to think outside the box (no pun intended) with the Hollow exhibition. It featured boxes connected with magnets that can be rearranged in an interactive feature to explore the themes of construction and destruction; her work is filled with imagination and a delightful playfulness, while being able to tackle serious subjects in innovative ways.
BEEP Wales. Info: www.beepwales.co.uk; National Eisteddfod. Info: www.eisteddfod.wales; The Black Crows of Borth. Info: www.miraandres.com; Diffusion, Cardiff, Mon 1 – Wed 31 MaY. Info: www.diffusionfestival.org. The Shed Project. Info: www.leejohnphillips.com; Craftedspace. Info: www.craftedspace.co.uk