Five leading artists who have work in Wales’ national art collection, cared for by Amgueddfa Cymru have been invited to nominate and mentor eight early career artists in Wales. These early career artists are at a pivotal point in the development of their artistic practice and will benefit from support to their development.
The eight artists commissioned to create new work, while being mentored by the five artist nominators are Jo-Anna Duncalf, Toni Osuji, Dafydd Williams, Emily Laurens, Geraint Ross Evans, João Saramago, M Roberts and Philip Cheater.
The five artists invited to nominate were Bev Bell-Hughes Michal Iwanowski, Daniel Trivedy, Sue Williams and Bedwyr Williams.
The practice of the eight artists includes photography, film, installation, print making, ceramics, socially engaged practice and performance. Flexibility is built into this unique programme, in relation to what can be achieved now in a developmental context, making the process as important as the final artworks to be produced.
Commenting today, Director Arts Development of the Arts Council of Wales, Sian Tomos, said:
“This project again demonstrates the strong and innovative partnership that exists between the Arts Council of Wales and Amgueddfa Cymru and which has already been seen in the previous Celf ar y Cyd projects such as Art 100 Celf, NHS Staff Decide and Cynfas.
“In this latest joint project eight artists are being commissioned for a period of 6 months to develop work while being mentored by the 5 exceptional artists. We consider it so important that we invest in this way in early career artists from across Wales, representing a diversity of practice and experience –to develop the potential of their artistic practice.
Kath Davies, Director of Collections and Research, Amgueddfa Cymru also said:
“What is truly innovative is that the artists are exploring their current practice, have the opportunity to respond artistically to the collections of Amgueddfa Cymru as well as explore the relationship between that collection and contemporary art practice.”
Each of the eight artists receives a grant of £10,000 with 50% allocated to the artist fee for participating in this programme. They will develop new work over a six-month period which will be shared with the public using Arts Council of Wales and Amgueddfa Cymru platforms between June and September 2021.The project is produced collaboratively by Arts Council of Wales Arts Associates, Louise Hobson and Elen Roberts.
END 15 June 2021
Notes to editors
Further details about the nominated artists:
Jo-Anna Duncalf – is a Conceptual Artist who mainly works in clay. She studied at Cardiff Art School before developing her ceramic knowledge in Japan where she lived for two years, and also produced and exhibited her work in New Zealand, Australia and Thailand. She recently moved back to live in north Wales and her current work explores a variety of methods of applying text into and onto clay, using text to create positive and negative shapes and pattern, inscribing, multi layering, and multi modular. She is also interested in how work can be presented.
Social media: https://jo-annaduncalf.weebly.com
Toni Osuji - is a lens-based artist based in South Wales. Her creative practice is closely tied to her interests in anthropological theory and practice as well as notions of interconnectedness. Her work largely explores and celebrates the richness of diversity, heritage and beauty in Wales, but has recently been exploring the ways in which identity is conceived, through understanding the internal and external factors which influence and affect the human condition; and thus the evolution of the ‘self’.
Social media: I - @tosuji
Dafydd Williams – works predominantly with lens-based media, but also uses installation and painting to explore Queer lifestyle and theory, spanning from the local gay to international perspectives. As a Queer Welsh Artist, now based in Swansea, he is interested in the dynamics between art and activism in raising awareness of historical and contemporary discrimination towards the LGBTQ+ community, challenging Heteronormativity, and working towards positive social change.
Social media: I - @properdaf
Emily Laurens – works at the intersection between participatory art, film, visual art, theatre and live art. In 2010 Emily returned to Wales and began working as a participatory artist including projects with Span Arts, National Theatre Wales and Amgueddfa Cymru. Since 2016 Emily has been part time community art coordinator at Oriel Myrddin Gallery, Carmarthen and lives in rural Carmarthenshire with her two children.
Social media: I - @datod_unravel
Geraint Ross Evans - is a figurative artist working in drawing, painting and installation. He was born in Caerphilly and grew up in Cardiff, Wales. Following graduation from Swansea College of Art, Geraint became closely involved with the former TactileBosch gallery and studios in Cardiff before moving to London to study at the Royal Drawing School. Now a tutor at the school, he teaches across the postgraduate, foundation, public and young artist programs. Geraint returned to live in Cardiff in 2019 where he now runs his studio.
Social media: I - @geraintevans_artist
João Saramago – is originally from Lisbon, Portugal and is now based in Cardiff. His creative practice explores ideas of vulnerability and endurance through film, photography, performance and drawing. A recent Art Residency in Reykjavik, Iceland helped him develop his skills and practice in using different media forms, site specific installations and performance. He creates playful, meaningful & sustainable work utilising the landscape to reflect on the ecological future of Wales.
Social media: I - @saramago.joao
M Roberts – is a 27-year-old Welsh Artist based in north Wales. Her work attempts to explore the idea that importance and value is defined by community and location. Her work connects personal experiences and issues relating to sexuality, masculinity, mental health, addiction, abuse and politics. Another aspect of her practice involves community art projects, helping to build skateparks in towns where ones were not previously accessible, with the hope of progressing creativity within local areas.
Social media: I - m.a.roberts_
Philip Cheater - Philip Cheater is a multi-disciplinary artist working in Swansea. He has been part of Elysium gallery since 2014 and currently occupies a space in College Street Studios. He has continued to exhibit work since 2012 as part of group shows, with installations continuing to develop as immersive spaces. Philip has been part of public art projects with both Locws International and Hand In Glove and was most recently shortlisted for the Sir Leslie Joseph Young Artist Award.
Social media: I - @fineartphil
The programme will provide an opportunity for the public to learn more about the artists’ processes and share their progress, experiments and new work created over the six months period, both digitally (across Arts Council of Wales and Amgueddfaa Cymru social media channels and in Cynfas) and physically, where possible to do so.
Instagram handles:
@celfcymruarts @celfarycyd @museumwales
#CelfArYCyd
Fore more information please contact Arts Council of Wales Portfolio Manager Louise Wright – louise.wright@arts.wales