Tenby Museum is set to present an introspective exhibition by acclaimed artist Meinir Mathias.
Titled “O dan yr wyneb” (Beneath the Surface), the exhibition offers a rare glimpse into Ms Mathias’ private studio and sketchbooks, showcasing unpublished works.
The exhibit stands alongside the museum’s historic collection of works by Gwen and Augustus John, pioneering Welsh artists known for chronicling the lives of musicians, travellers, and bohemian communities in the last century.
While Ms Mathias is known for her oil paintings that reimagine Wales’s cultural past, this exhibition shifts focus to her present.
It features etchings, delicate drawings, and candid paintings, capturing fleeting moments and portraits of her contemporaries, including family, friends, fellow artists, and travellers.
These pieces offer insight into the quiet poetry of everyday life that fuels her artistic vision.
Ms Mathias has close connections to Pembrokeshire’s landscapes, and stories, with family ties and childhood connections to the Preseli Hills.
She chose Tenby for this exhibition due to her fond memories of family trips and Sunday school outings to the area.
The coastal gallery’s rugged setting complements the raw intimacy of her sketches and etchings.
Although stylistically distinct from her usual historical scenes, these pieces share her attention to detail, love of storytelling, and commitment to capturing the essence of Wales.
By sharing space with Gwen and Augustus John, Ms Mathias pays homage to their legacy of documenting creative communities while offering her own contemporary tribute to artistic kinship.
The exhibition, “O dan yr wyneb,” is an invitation to explore the quiet corridors of an artist’s mind.
It launches on Saturday, July 5, from 2pm to 4pm.