The visual arts make up an essential part of the cultural landscape in Wales, from painting to sculpture to photography to video and much more in between. The exhibitions Wales Arts Review has considered both in reviews and articles cover a range of topics which reflect, thematically, on everything from Welsh history and the pastoral landscape to everyday life and the act of protest. Here, Wales Arts Review complies ten Welsh exhibitions which offer thought-provoking analyses of life and history in Wales and beyond.
Romanticism and the Welsh Landscape
Romanticism in the Welsh Landscape is a major exhibition at MOMA Machynlleth from 19 March to 18 June. With over 60 works dating from the late eighteenth century to the present, it’s the most substantial exhibition MOMA has ever held. Its guest curator Dr Peter Wakelin talks about the experience of conceptualising and selecting it, and shares some of the star exhibits.
Read Dr Peter Wakelin’s article here.
Exhibition | Peter Prendergast
Gary Raymond reviews a career-spanning collection of Peter Prendergast’s work, curated by his widow, and examines whether Prendergast’s oeuvre might overshadow the eminent work of Sir Kyffin Williams.
Read Gay Raymond’s exhibition review here.
The Inconstant State by Shani Rhys James
Nigel Jarrett travels to London to review the first solo exhibition, This Inconstant State, from Shani Rhys James to follow her residency in New York in 2015.
Read Nigel Jarrett’s review here.
Merched Chwarel | An Exhibition
Nicola Edwards explores the powerful symbolism embedded into the Merched Chwarel exhibition in Bangor’s Storiel space.
Read Nicola Edwards’ review here.
Then and Now: 80 Years of CASW | Exhibition
Gary Raymond reviews Then and Now, an exhibition to mark 80 years of the Contemporary Art Society for Wales (CASW), at the Glynn Vivian Gallery in Swansea.
Read Gary Raymond’s review here.
Love Hangover | An Exhibition by Tom Cardew
Lizzie Lloyd reviews the immersive multimedia experience of Tom Cardew‘s Love Hangover at the G39 gallery in Cardiff.
Read Lizzie Lloyd’s review here.
A Sean Edwards Exhibition | Undo Things Done
Scott Baines reviews Undo Things Done, the Sean Edwards exhibition that made a mark as Wales’s representative at the Venice Biennale in 2019 and until the lockdown sat at Ty Pawb in Wrexham.
Read Scott Baines’ review here.
Claudia Williams | Art Exhibition
Josie Cray reviews the Welsh artist Claudia Williams retrospective at the Martin Tinney Gallery in Cardiff. Her work often captures moments of everyday activities.
Read Josie Cray’s review here.
Y BAE | Exhibiting During Lockdown
Following the postponement of his solo exhibition Y BAE, Pete Jones reflects on the fluid nature of creating art during a pandemic and how his collection draws personal and cultural inspiration from his childhood in Hirael, Bangor.
Read Pete Jones’ article here.
Ways of Protest, an exhibition which demonstrates how art can be used as a powerful expression of the need for change in society, is now available online as a virtual tour. Rachel Mainwaring walks us through it.
Read Rachel Mainwaring’s review here.
