Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay
Mon 4 – Sun 24 July
Mike, or Mikey, Jones, not to be confused with the Swansea valley based artist, is an exciting young talent from Wrexham. After a long process of travelling around Wales for inspiration, and painting both the best and worst Welsh landscapes on offer, Jones presents {Wales In Colour}, which is now making its way to Cardiff. He explains “Wales is a country renowned for its diverse natural beauty and proud historic culture. Each piece expresses elements of the above that together, builds a vivid contemporary narrative of Wales as I see it today.”
Jones asked the Welsh public about their favourite and least favourite places in Wales, and his paintings of them document both the breath-taking beauty of Wales, and the harsh realities of a post-industrial economy. As you could probably figure out from the name of the exhibition, Jones’ use of colour features heavily, successfully capturing even gloomy landscapes with vivid colours that leap out at you. Jones’ ability to portray depth is also impressive, and almost drops you directly into the surreal but undeniably Welsh landscapes. Jones travelled extensively around Wales for inspiration, painting everything from the grandiose Harlech castle, to Cardiff’s foggy skyline, and Rhyl’s seafront, where he was accosted by skateboarding youths while painting. Jones has a notably unique style, and as a young artist it’ll be interesting to see where he takes it.
Admission: free. Info: 029 2087 7959 / www.norwegianchurchcardiff.co.uk
words LUKE OWAIN BOULT