The Wales Arts Review team picks its top 10 visual arts events of 2017, and for the first time we name our Exhibition of the Year.

Top 10 visual arts events of 2017:

I Paint Therefore I Am by Shani Rhys James (Martin Tinney Gallery, Cardiff)

Jo Mazelis casts a critical eye over painter Shani Rhys James’ new exhibition ‘I Paint Therefore I am’

Insignificant: Recent Paintings by Clive McCarthy (Kickplate Gallery, Abertillery)

Nigel Jarrett discusses the new exhibit from visual artist and painter Clive McCarthy in Abertillery.

Diffusion: The Cardiff International Festival of Photography (Various venues, Cardiff)

Revolution is the theme as Gary Raymond explores the opening night of Cardiff’s International Festival of Photography.

Blow In by Alexander Duncan (Aldama Fabre Gallery, Bilboa, Spain)

Swansea artist Alexander Duncan brings together sculpture, new media and print, to question what is real and what is constructed. The artist explores the materiality of objects, the physicality of their being, and their semantic language. For Duncan, there is no such thing as an innocent object devoid of meaning; once an object is happened upon, it becomes an event of heightened perception and narrative.

In a Dream You Saw a Way to Survive and You Were Full of Joy curated by Elizabeth Price (Glynn Vivian, Swansea)

Gary Raymond casts a critical eye over Elizabeth Price’s new visual arts exhibit In a Dream You Saw a Way to Survive and You Were Full of Joy in Swansea.

Brynhyfryd by Elfyn Lewis (Oriel Canfas, Cardiff)

Wales Arts Review presents an image gallery of the new exhibition from Elfyn Lewis, with introduction by Gustav Dunck.

Crossings: Adam Buick and the Legend of Tresaith (Aberystwyth Arts Centre)

Karen Westendorf discusses the ceramics exhibit in Aberystwyth from artist Adam Buick.

Daniel James Yeomans Solo (Willow Gallery, Oswestry)

Julia Forster interviews portrait artist Daniel James Yeomans whose solo exhibition is currently on at the Willow Gallery in Oswestry.

Llanbrynmair – Soft Mutations by Nicky Arscott (MOMA, Machynlleth)

Helen Pendry casts a critical eye over the exhibition Soft Mutations from artist Nicky Arscott.

Music for the Gift by James Richards (Santa Maria Ausiliatrice, Venice, Italy)

And the Wales Arts Review Exhibition of the Year for 2017 is…