'Yellow Wallpaper I' oil on canvas 2011
SHANI RHYS JAMES MBE at 60
New Paintings
9 May - 8 June 2013
Shani Rhys James is arguably the most exciting and successful Welsh artist of her generation and her
considerable reputation, both in Wales and beyond, continues to grow apace. In recent years her work has been
included in a number of prestigious exhibitions in Britain and abroad and she has garnered much serious critical
acclaim in the national press. This exhibition of new paintings coincides with her 60th birthday and is
accompanied by a release of a new book about her work. She will be signing copies of the book at the opening of
this exhibition.
Born in 1953, Shani trained at St Martin's College of Art and Design. She is the recipient of numerous prizes and
awards including The Jerwood Prize, The Hunting Prize, The National Portrait Award, The Mostyn Open, the
Gold Medal at the National Eisteddfod and Welsh Woman of Culture. She was awarded an MBE in 2006. Her
work features in many important private and public collections.
This latest exhibition consists of approximately twenty five new paintings, all executed in Shani’s bold style,
utilising sumptuous colours and rich textures. Continuing with an autobiographical approach, Shani’s portrait is
included in many paintings, often in domestic settings against an exuberant floral background. Within the works
she is exploring the inner psyche and the sexuality of women, as she explains; “Flowers are of course symbolic
of a woman’s sexuality…my flowers symbolise the anarchy of the female spirit.”
The art historian Edward Lucie-Smith has described her work as the "theatre of the self", explaining that she
turns domestic scenes into "some unapologetic assertive epic".
All work is for sale and may be seen on our website www.artwales.com
MARTIN TINNEY GALLERY 18 St Andrew’s Crescent, Cardiff, CF10 3DD
tel: +44 (0)29 2064 1411 mtg@artwales.com www.artwales.com