Welsh visual arts have been present at the National Eisteddfod since 1863. This year the Y Lle Celf exhibition continues to keep that tradition alive, showcasing the works of more than 40 Welsh artists that made it to one of the most visited exhibitions in Wales.
The gallery is divided into two sections, the Open Exhibition and the Special Exhibition. For the first one, three people directly involved in the arts sector selected 44 works out of the 300 presented this year. These show a wide range of creativity, including pieces in ceramic, photography, sculpture and multimedia.
Next to it, there is the Special Exhibition, which this year has been a collaboration between artist Peter Bodenham and local historian Rev. Towyn Jones. Under the name Dan y wyneb, it compiles objects from the local area that reveal stories about Camarthenshire.
For Robyn Tomos, Visual Arts Officer, “the exhibition gives you a snapshot of what’s happening in Wales at a given time; and it’s different every year”.
At the gallery people can also find the winning works from this year’s arts medals, awarded in the following categories: Ceramics, Fine Art, and Craft and Design, together with a Young Artist Scholarship. All the works show the new paths explored by contemporary Welsh arts, with very appealing designs such as Susan Philips’ creation, winner of the Craft and Design Awards.
In addition to this, people can vote for their favourite artworks, the one who receives the most votes will be awarded £500 tomorrow evening.
The exhibition is a proof of how rich and diverse Welsh visual arts are. “We could have created at least six or seven exhibitions with the number of works submitted”, says Robyn Tomos. Furthermore, 18 of the 44 artists exhibited this year did so for the first time in this exhibition, which means that there is enough talent to keep the Welsh arts sector evolving for another 150 years.
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