Twenty-two Wales-based printmakers were represented in this international exhibition in 2007 including work by the late Bert Isaac. The original prints reflected aspects of culture, heritage, lifestyle and contemporary themes relevant to Wales today. The work was exhibited in Karachi and Lahore and a group from the contributing artists travelled to Pakistan to support the cultural exchange with printmaker, Robert Macdonald, delivering a series of artist talks.
The project came about through connections and partnerships developed as part of SPW’s hugely successful Festival of Muslim Cultures Print Project.
CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS: Kate Bassett | Lynne Bebb | Bill Chambers | Paul Croft | Linda Davies | Ruth Jên Davies | Stuart Evans | Jackie Ford | Valerie Ganz | Veronica Gibson | Sarah Hopkins | Sameera Khan | Robert Macdonald | Nina Morgan | Ruth Parmiter | Kara Seaman | Hannah Streat | Judith Stroud | Alan Williams | Ian Williams | Pete Williams
The full accompanying tri-lingual publication can be viewed in our Catalogue Archive which includes work by all contributing artists, foreword by Sarah Hopkins and Welsh Prints to Pakistan: Wales and its Artists, an essay by Robert Macdonald.
Foreword by Sarah Hopkins
Under the banner of the Festival of Muslim Cultures: UK 2006, Swansea Print Workshop established the Festival of Muslim Cultures Print Project, a year-long programme of printmaking activities, artist residencies, workshops and exhibitions
A powerful and unique partnership developed with printmakers from Pakistan as the Contemporary Pakistani Printmakers exhibition, curated by Sarah Hopkins and Sameera Khan, showcased the work of the country’s best printmakers. Designed to inform the West of current practice, the prints and the artists who made the work had a significant and lasting impact on the host communities, who embraced their diverse talent and rich culture. The exhibition was brought to Swansea, Wales in January 2006 and completed its UK tour in January 2007.
Exceeding all expectations, the Print Project functioned as a catalyst for exploring new cultural connections and reciprocal opportunities for Welsh artists. Sharing Wales’ talent, culture and heritage with the communities of Pakistan, Swansea Print Workshop orchestrated Contemporary Welsh Printmakers, the sister exhibition to Contemporary Pakistani Printmakers; a selection of work that acknowledges printmakers from across the Principality.
Much can be learned about a country’s culture through the images that artists use; the sharing of ideas, attitudes to life, a sense of history, a comment on current events and not least humour, which can forge vital connections with an immediacy that transcends language barriers.
Contemporary Welsh Printmakers represents 20 artists living and working in Wales and includes 45 original prints reflecting aspects of culture and heritage, lifestyle and contemporary themes.
O dan faner Gwˆ yl Ddiwylliannol Fwslimaidd: DU 2006, datblygodd Gweithdy Print Abertawe Brosiect Argraffu G ˆ wyl Ddiwylliannol Fwslimaidd; rhaglen flwyddyn o hyd o weithgareddau gwneud printiau, artistiaid preswyl, gweithdai ac arddangosfeydd.
Partneriaeth unigryw a phwerus wedi ei datblygu gyda gwneuthurwyr printiau o Bacistan wrth i’r Arddangosfa Contemporary Pakistani Printmakers, wedi‘i churadu gan Sarah Hopkins a Sameera Khan, arddangos gwaith gorau gwneuthurwyr printiau’r wlad. Fe’i dyluniwyd i hysbysu pobl y Gorllewin o arferion cyfredol, cafodd y printiau a’r artistiaid a wnaeth y gwaith effaith hirdymor ac arwyddocaol ar y cymunedau y buont yn ymweld â hwy, a oedd wedi cofleidio’u talent amrywiol a’u diwylliant cyfoethog. Daethpwyd a’r arddangosfa i Abertawe, Cymru ym mis Ionawr 2006 a gorffennodd ei thaith o gwmpas y DU yn Ionawr 2007.
Yn rhagori ar bob disgwyliad, mae’r Prosiect Printiau wedi gweithio fel catalydd ar gyfer archwilio cysylltiadau diwylliannol newydd a chyfleoedd o’r ddeutu ar gyfer artistiaid Cymraeg. Yn rhannu talentau, diwylliant a threftadaeth Cymru gyda chymunedau Pacistan, mae Gweithdy Print Abertawe yn cyflwyno Gwneuthurwyr Printiau Cymraeg Cyfoes, arddangosfa sy’n perthyn i Contemporary Pakistani Printmakers; detholiad o waith sydd yn cydnabod gwneuthurwyr printiau ar draws y dywysogaeth. Mae llawer i’w ddysgu am ddiwylliant gwlad trwy’r darluniau mae artistiaid yn eu defnyddio; rhannu syniadau, agweddau tuag at fywyd, ymdeimlad o hanes, sylwadau ar ddigwyddiadau cyfoes ac yn bwysig iawn, hiwmor, sydd yn gallu creu cysylltiadau pwysig iawn sy’n gallu goresgyn rhwystrau ieithyddol yn syth.
Welsh Prints to Pakistan : Wales and its Artists by Robert Macdonald
Wales, painting its crags, castles and misty mountains, the Principality attracted artists from across the border in England and from further afield. The English Neo-Romantics were fascinated by the Welsh landscape and in the 1930s and 1940s artists such as Graham Sutherland and John Piper were inspired by its hidden valleys, tangled woods and hump-backed hills. They came to Wales to paint, but did not stay.
Welsh-born artists often travelled in the opposite direction. Augustus John and his now equally famous sister Gwen moved far from home in the early 20th Century, attracted by the bright lights of London and Paris. This was the pattern until comparatively recently, with visiting artists looking for inspiration in the Welsh landscape and many of the native-born painters and sculptors seeking success and recognition beyond Wales.
All this has changed in the last 35 years as the artistic community within Wales has grown as never before. Major artists such as Sir Kyffin Williams and Bert Isaac came back to Wales to paint after many years spent working in London. Another leading Welsh landscape painter, Peter Prendergast, studied in England but then returned as a young man to Wales with his wife Lesley, and, despite many hardships, made an international name for himself as a powerfully expressionist oil painter, working in isolation up in the mountains of Snowdonia.
These three artists all drew strength from the dramatic local landscape. Their presence encouraged younger Welsh artists to have the confidence to remain in Wales, though not necessarily to follow in their shoes as landscape painters. The work of younger generations is notable for its diversity, though particular aspects of Wales’s life and scenery still attract many artists. While the home-grown artistic community has expanded there has also been a great influx of creative talents from beyond the Welsh borders. The artistic scene in Wales is now a vibrant one, though in many respects the artistic infrastructure has not grown to keep pace with the larger numbers of artists working here now. There is no Welsh National Gallery of Contemporary Art and no Welsh Art magazine. The one exception to this dearth of provision is in printmaking, for Wales is now well-served with printmaking facilities. Swansea Print Workshop is the newest of these, and when plans for its expansion are completed it will be one of the best in Britain.
During the last 12 months Wales has suffered the loss of its artistic core, with the deaths in rapid succession of Bert Isaac, Sir Kyffin Williams and Peter Prendergast. All three of them were printmakers as well as painters and Bert Isaac in particular has left behind a large body of linocuts and etchings. Though he loved landscape painting Bert was a great experimenter, particularly in printmaking. He would be delighted to see the diversity of work in this exhibition, the enthusiasm of the young to rediscover traditional skills and the adventurous techniques explored here by his artistic successors.
ROBERT MACDONALD, Chair of the Welsh Group and a director of Swansea Print Workshop
School links
Further to the activities that were part of the Festival of Muslim Cultures Print Project and with the purpose of promoting valuable interaction and cultural diversity in those who are at a formative stage in their development, a ‘twinning’ took place between two schools: Coed Hirwaun Primary, Neath Port Talbot in South Wales and Mountain School, Gilgit in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. The children corresponded and exchanged cultural information and experiences from their unique viewpoints.
Their interest in each other was enhanced by school visits made by our artist in residence Aleem Khan. He surprised the children of Coed Hirwaun with a documentary film of Mountain School and its pupils. The mountain school children introduced themselves on film, which made a huge impact.
Commenting on the film and Aleem’s visit, Mr Rhys Harris, Deputy Head teacher said, ‘The response from our kids was unbelievable; we are now in the process of making our own documentary, which we will be sending to Gilgit after Christmas. We have also asked Aleem to come back to our school to share more information about the communities in the Northern Areas. The children are keen to taste Hunza apricots and kernels and to find out more about Pakistani lifestyles.’
Contemporary Welsh Printmakers was funded alongside our Festival of Muslim Cultures Print project with additional support from Arts Wales International. The exhibition showed internationally in 2007.