art
KELP
National Museum , Cardiff Until Sun 1 Sept Promoting a re-branded and entirely modernised version of the Welsh heritage food product laverbread for a young , stylish and metropolitan audience , Kelp is the latest exhibition by Swansea-born artist Dan Rees . Far from its commercial roots on market stalls , seaweed-based produce is to be advertised as a cult health food product : high in protein , rich in vitamins , and the superfood du jour . This vision supports the current green food revolution and promotes a food staple glamorised by Asian cuisine for thousands of years . Edible seaweed is regularly associated with rural and rustic welsh living , still eaten widely across Wales in the form of laverbread . The somewhat infamous Welsh delicacy , made with oats , has been described by Richard Burton as ‘ The Welsh man ’ s Caviar ’ and is traditionally fried and served with bacon and cockles as part of a Welsh breakfast . In Japan , the cold water seaweed Porphyra is used to produce the sea vegetable product nori , which is used in soups and to wrap sushi . Porphyra is also an ingredient in laverbread , however , the streamline Asian cuisine tends to receive a much better press compared to the ugly duckling of Welsh cuisine , often regarded as a culinary novelty despite packing the same nutritional content as its Asian counterpart . The artist ’ s subversive re-branding of seaweed produce was sparked by his love of laverbread , a product that he regularly gets sent from Wales to his studio in Berlin , and by his interest in the “ preconceptions about the identity of Wales and the idea that being Celtic was somehow traditional .” Dan Rees ’ s rebranding – from packaging design to photography – bridges the divide between traditional and modern dinning and challenges the “ almost futuristic ” food of Japan as its audience is asked to reconsider the benefits and appeal of seaweed at the heart of a green food revolution . Admission : free . Info : 029 2039 7951 / www . museumwales . ac . uk LOWRI MARTINSON
© THE COLLECTION OF HOWARD HODGKIN
NATHAN SHEEN : SIGNS OF LIFE
The Riverfront , Newport Thurs 8 Aug-Fri 6 Sept After being involved in a serious road traffic accident on the M4 motorway , Sheen first created a collection of pieces based upon road signs , changing these recognisable objects before putting them back into their original surroundings . By cleverly playing with the wording of signs , he created new meanings from old symbolism . Signs Of Life sees this idea taken further , with the theme of signs used in interesting and novel ways to create a clever collection . In these latest paintings , Sheen unifies the graphic nature of signage with fine art painting to explore what is meant by ‘ Welshness ’. Utilising symbols that are familiar in everyday Welsh life he creates a representation of our country through a synthesis of traditional painting and graphic design . Sheen has produced both large individual symbols with the strong lines and conspicuous colours of road signs , and repetitive patterns of small symbols to form a striking collection of pieces that incorporate Welsh imagery such as sheep , daffodils and beaches . Through this pop art flavoured method of painting he captures the very essence of being Welsh in an almost pictographic manner , drawing on symbolism that is inherently linked with the country and serving it in fresh and inspiring ways . Admission : free . Info : 01633 656757 / www . newport . gov . uk / theriverfront ( JD )
WALES AT WATER ’ S EDGE
Aberystwyth Arts Centre Until Sat 7 Sept Wales is a beautiful place . We all moan about the weather we have here , but there is no denying that we have great expanses of countryside that can rival most others . But how often do you actually stop to look at the landscape around you and appreciate its beauty ? This month , Aberystwyth Arts Centre will be showing the latest work of photographer Jeremy Moore . Jeremy specialises in the Welsh landscape and wildlife inside it . This latest project took him two years to complete , was linked to the opening of the Wales Coastal footpath , and includes images of the breathtaking coastal landscapes stretching from Chepstow to the Dee Estuary . It isn ’ t just the wonder of nature that you ’ ll see highlighted in his prints , many industrial locations such as power plants , factories and bridges are all represented , providing a true view of our modern landscape . This isn ’ t just art ; it ’ s a beautiful representation of the social and natural history of our Welsh coastline . If you ’ d like to learn a little bit more about the project , why not pop along to hear the artist himself talk about it . Jeremy Moore will be available at a free talk discussing Wales At Water ’ s Edge on Thurs 8 Aug . For more info , get in touch with the box office . Admission : free . Info : 01970 623232 / www . aberystwythartscentre . co . uk ( LR )
VISIONS OF MUGHAL INDIA
National Museum , Cardiff Until Sun 3 Nov Howard Hodgkin started collecting Mughal Indian art in his schooldays , and now has one of the finest collections of Indian painting in the world . The collection is on permanent loan to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford , and now a selection of paintings and drawings from this enormous collection are on tour . These paintings cover a period of over 300 years from the earliest days of the Mughal Empire ( c . 1550 ) to the eventual dissolution of the British Empire in 1857 after the First War Of Indian Independence . The geographical sweep of this collection is similarly huge from the intricate Persian-influenced miniatures of Delhi , to the boldly drawn and vividly coloured paintings of Rajasthan to paintings from the Deccani Sultanates Of Southern India . The subjects in the collection range from animals ( there are many paintings of elephants , a particular fascination of Mughal painters ), courtly scenes , portraits of nobles , scenes from everyday life , images from mythical epics and illustrations of poems . The exhibition consists of 115 paintings which go some way to representing the richness of the Indian tradition of visual art and Indian history . There are few , if any , exhibitions this year which will match this one for variety , richness and sheer exuberance . For those reasons this is not to be missed . Admission : free . Info : 029 2057 3500 / www . musuemwales . ac . uk ( DG )
CRAFT IN THE BAY SUMMER SHOW
Craft In The Bay , Cardiff Bay Until Sun 1 Sept Craft In The Bay ’ s annual summer show draws to a close this month at their converted grade II listed Victorian maritime warehouse in Cardiff Bay . The selection panel of Beate Gegenwart ( head of Applied Art at Swansea Metropolitan University ), potter Morgen Hall , and Charlotte Kingston ( Exhibitions And Education Officer ) for the Makers Guild In Wales have had the tough job of selecting a variety of the best craftsmen and women from Wales and beyond to form a carefully selected summer exhibition . Exhibits include a range of intriguing artist books from recent textiles MA graduate Nancy Mitchell ; contemporary glass artist Ruth Shelley whose pieces are inspired by the dramatic mid-Wales landscape ; glass vessels by Beryl Morgan ; anodised aluminium jewellery by Lantrisant-based Mandy Nash ; contemporary stitch work by artist Ruth Harries ; contemporary jewellery by Isle Of Skye designer Heather McDermott and finely detailed ceramics from Lisa Krigel . Bringing together an eclectic range of craftspeople from around the UK , this year ’ s exhibition sees the inclusion of a People ’ s Choice award , in which the public are encouraged to choose their favourite piece from the exhibition . The winner will then have an opportunity to exhibit again at Craft In The Bay with a larger body of work . Admission : free . Info : 029 2048 4611 / www . makersguildinwales . org . uk ( PT )
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