‘Born of Pain and Iron’, by Anthony Rhys, is currently on display at Penarth Pier Pavilion
A teacher from a Caerphilly county borough school could be set for a brush with fame after seeing his work displayed in a South Wales art gallery.
Anthony Rhys, teacher and ICT co-ordinator at Trinity Fields School & Resource Centre in Ystrad Mynach, has this month seen a number of his paintings go on show in a four week solo exhibit at Penarth Pier Pavilion.
40-year-old Anthony’s ‘Born of Pain and Iron’ exhibit features ‘haunting’ greyscale portraiture depicting those who lived and worked in industrial and rural Wales.
Anthony, who lives in Beddau, Rhondda Cynon Taf, said: “I started oil painting in my spare time around four years ago – it’s completely different to my day job and I also find it a very relaxing thing to do after a long day in work.
“I have always been taken by the imagery of Victorian photographs, the sepia tones, vignetting, clothes, poses and the faces, those blank staring faces that only give tiny little hints of a person’s life or character.
“My paintings are of individuals caught in an emotional state,” he explained. “Whether they are rich and influential or poor and disenfranchised, I have imagined them baring themselves to us by expressing their darkest, most troubled hour. I wanted to pinpoint those times in their lives that the camera didn’t catch; I wanted to give these forgotten people their names and their voices back.
“My people are rooted in Wales’ past and they are put into context by an individual story.”
Despite only taking up painting in 2009 and never receiving any formal training, Anthony has already claimed a number of awards including the Ifor Davies Prize at the National Eisteddfod 2012 and first prize in an Open Art competition hosted by Y Galeri in Caerphilly last year.
Anthony’s ‘Born of Pain and Iron’ collection is being exhibited at Penarth Pier Pavilion between Friday 13th April and Thursday 8th May.
