YesCymru’s Art of Independence competition open to artists

YesCymru, a group advocating for Welsh sovereignty, is urging Pembrokeshire artists to submit their work to the Art of Independence competition.

The contest is spearheaded by the YesCymru Penybont ar Ogwr branch and the subsequent exhibition will be featured at the Queen Street Art Gallery in Neath.

Renowned professional artists Iwan Bala, Bethan Ash, and Claire Hiett, are to judge the competition.

The exhibition is scheduled to start on Saturday, November 2, and continue until Saturday, November 30.

Bethan Ash, operating from Neath, manages both the Queen Street Gallery and the Studio 40 Contemporary Art Centre in the town.

Her award-winning work has been exhibited globally, and her art quilts appear in museum collections in the UK and the US, including the Museum of Art and Design (MAD), New York.

She is credited with two books – Vibrant Quilt Collage, published in the USA, and Instinctive Quilt Art, released by Batsford UK.

Iwan Bala is another seasoned artist, writer, and lecturer, born in Sarnau, near Bala, but raised in Gwyddelwern near Corwen.

He has held solo exhibitions annually since 1990 and achieved a Masters in Fine Arts from the University of Wales Institute Cardiff.

He has participated in group exhibitions in Wales and internationally and is represented in public and private collections.

Furthermore, his accomplishments include exhibitions in four Chinese cities in 2009 along with several publications on contemporary art in Wales.

Claire Hiett, after lecturing in fine art for 15 years, now works as a creative wellbeing practitioner.

Ms Hiett sees art as a means of understanding the self, others, and the wider community and is profoundly inspired by the well-being derived from interacting with and being in nature.

YesCymru chairperson Phyl Griffiths said: “We are very excited in YesCymru about this competition and exhibition and we can’t wait to see the art that will be on display.

“Wales is without doubt an artistic nation that is brimming with talent and this is a fantastic opportunity for artists to get their work showcased in front of a new audience.

“Art helps us to tell the story of who we are, and this is an opportunity for us to tell the story about the free, fair, ambitious and independent nation we would like to see.”

Furthermore, Christine Moore, project manager for YesCymru Penybont ar Ogwr, stressed the significant role art plays in fostering national pride and identity.

The competition’s deadline for entry is Owain Glyndŵr Day, Saturday, September 16.

The judges will then select up to 80 pieces for exhibition alongside the prize winners.

Anyone interested in entering can visit the Art of Independence Wales website.