The National Library of Wales
Claudia Williams Remembers Tryweryn
Tue, 15 Jun 10 10:57:00
Tryweryn – a name daubed on walls and on a nation’s memory, is the subject of an exhibition by one of Wales’ leading artists, Claudia Williams, between 19 June – 4 September 2010 at the National Library of Wales.
In Remembering Tryweryn, Claudia Williams deals with her memory and perspective of the controversial drowning by Liverpool Corporation of the Welsh-speaking village and valley near Bala in 1965. The decade long struggle to save the village became a highly charged issue in Wales which resulted in both bombings and peaceful protests. With the aid of the many photographs from the period in the National Library’s collections, Claudia Williams has created an exhibition which will bring back memories and her personal feelings as a mother at the time, of this pivotal event in Welsh history.
The exhibition includes images of families forced to leave their homes and farms and also the famous daubed wall near the village of Llanrhystud south of Aberystwyth with its rallying-cry slogan, ‘Cofiwch Dryweryn’ (Remember Tryweryn).
Claudia Williams was born in Purley, Surrey in 1933 and studied at Chelsea School of Art. In 1954 she married fellow artist, Gwilym Prichard, and settled in Llangefni on Anglesey at the time of the beginning of the Tryweryn debate. She lived in Brittany for many years but returned to live in Tenby in Pembrokeshire with Gwilym in 2000. She is today one of Wales’ leading artists with a faithful and keen following. She is greatly admired for giving a more personal insight into many political events such as Tryweryn and the 1980s Greenham Common peace activists.
As well as Claudia Williams’ paintings, the exhibition also shows photographs taken by the photojournalist, Geoff Charles, which complement and are sometimes alluded to in Claudia’s work. As part of the exhibition, there will also be an hour of films about the drowning of Tryweryn from the collections of the Library’s National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales 23 June at the Drwm
Andrew Green, Librarian of The National Library said;
‘Claudia Williams is one of Wales’ most loved living artists. The breadth of her life and experience mean her paintings have a resonance which give her work the added poignancy of a person who’s witnessed a lot and thought deeply about human nature and society. We’re very proud to be exhibiting this exhibition at The National Library of Wales.
Claudia Williams is represented by Oriel Martin Tinney Gallery.
Remembering Tryweryn
Main Hall Balcony, The National Library of Wales
Aberystwyth
19 June – 4 September 2010
The Drwm, The National Library of Wales
Aberystwyth
13:15, 23 June 2010
Free Admission by Ticket
Further Information
Siôn Jobbins, NLW Press Office: 01970 632 902 post@llgc.org.uk
