Work from 19 arts graduates from universities across Wales and England has been included in Portal 2021, the annual exhibition of emerging arts practices at Llangarnam Grange.
This year’s graduates have developed a stunning array of work, ranging from photography, painting, sculpture, textiles, video and illustration- from challenging inequality, highlighting protests, expressing hiraeth and abstracting human forms.
Savanna Dumelow (Exhibitions Officer, Llantarnam Grange), Francisca Onumah (Blacksmith) and Jessica Jones (Arts Lecturer, Coleg Gwent) were the selection panel. They chose the 19 from over 65 applicants from all over the UK.
The Oakdale Trust is funding bespoke coaching and support for the artists in the exhibition.
Louise Jones-Williams, director of Llantarnam Grange, said: “In its 11th year, Portal continues to offer a springboard for artists finishing either their undergraduate degree or postgrad, often being that vital first step towards working as professional artist. The artists chosen by the selectors represent a mix of varied practices showing the exciting range of themes and topics that artists in the UK are concerned with. We’re very excited to be able to welcome visitors back for our first preview in over 18 months, and can’t wait to welcome people back through the doors for this event.”
The artists selected for inclusion this year are: Gold Maria Akanbi (Liverpool John Moores), Vivienne Beaumont (Hereford College of Arts), Julia Brzozowska (London College of Fashion), Mashal Chaudhri (Royal College of Art), Lois Davies (University Trinity Saint David), Jacob Ecclestone (Hereford College of Arts), Rosie Harman (Cardiff Metropolitan University), Xiaoling Jin (Royal College of Art), Mihee Kim (Royal College of Art), Matthew Lintott (University of the West of England), Helen Louise Murphy (University of South Wales), Alex Maughan (Hereford College of Arts), Charly Monreal (London Contemporary Dance School), Katie Sims (University for the Creative Arts Farnham), Booker T Skelding (University of South Wales), Klara Sroka (Cardiff Metropolitan University), Lilian Vonda Clare Sutton (Hereford College of Arts), Ruth Petersen (Carmarthen School of Art) and Yusun Won (Cardiff Metropolitan University)
