CV

Born 1956 Sarnau near Y Bala, north Wales.

• 1974-75 University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
• 1975-76 Foundation Course, Chester.
• 1976-78 Howard Gardens, Cardiff College of Art.
• 1991-93 MA Fine Art, University of Wales Institute, Cardiff.
• 2016-2020 MPhil/PhD Research Scholarship, Faculty of Creative Industries. University of South Wales.
• 2016-2022 Council Member Arts Council Wales. Chair, Wales in Venice Committee.

Member of Grwp BECA Co-founder of The Artists’ Project/Prosiect Artistiaid, an artist led organization dedicated to international events. Member of the Gorsedd of Bards.

• 1983-today: Practising Artist
• 1990: Artist in Residence, National Gallery of Zimbabwe.
• 1998-2002: Visiting Lecturer. MA Fine Art, UWIC, Cardiff
• 2002-07: Special Projects Manager with Public Art organisation; Cywaith Cymru . Artworks Wales.
• 2003-04: Lead Artist, Galeri Caernarfon.
• 2004-07: Consultant Curator, Galeri Caernarfon.
• 2007-2015: Senior Lecturer, School of Fine Art and Photography. University of Wales, Trinity Saint Davids.
• 2013-2017 External Examiner. MFA. Cardiff School of Art.
• 2016-2018; MPhil/PhD Research Scholarship, Faculty of Creative Industries. University of South Wales.

AWARDS

• Recipient of grants from the Arts Council of Wales, in particular a travel grant to visit Zimbabwe in 1990 to work as Artist in Residence at the National Gallery in Harare. Also aided by a British Council Special Award.
• Prize winner at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, 1988,89,93,2010 and a selector in 1995 and 2009, Gold Medal Winner in 1997. Recipient of Josef Herman Prize (People's Choice) 2010, Ivor Davies Award 2013.
• Recipient of the Owain Glyndwr Award for contribution to the arts in Wales, Museum of Modern Art, Wales 1998.
• Arts Council of Wales research funding for “Certain Welsh Artists”, a collection of essays published by Seren Books in 1999. Arts Council of Wales, Career Development Grant (printmaking) 2001. Wales Art International travel grant to Galicia 2004, Brittany 2007, China 2009. SIP Research Funding and Welsh Assembly Trade Mission, Qatar 2013
• Welsh Artist of the Year, Drawing Prize, 2013.
• Invited to become member of Academi, Literature Wales 2014.
• Hubei Province International Scholar Award to lecture at Wuhan Textile University and Hangzhou School of Art and Design.2016

SELECTED ONE PERSON EXHIBITIONS

• 2020 Dan Glo. Gallery TEN, Cardiff. Online Exhibition.
• 2019 Resistance. Oriel Caffi Croesor, north Wales.
• 2017 Dyma Gariad/Here is a Love. Penarth Pier Gallery, south Wales.
• 2016 Fragments of Words, The Fairway. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
• 2015 The Losses and the Gains (Including final performance of PROsiect hAIcw). Safle Celf, Galeri, Caernarfon
• 2014 PROsiect hAIcw (in collaboration with musician Angharad Jenkins) Made in Roath Festival, Cardiff Contemporary.Cardiff: Oriel Myrddin, Carmarthen. Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
• 2014 Words. Oriel Theatr Clwyd, Mold, north Wales
• 2013 Field-notes. (in collaboration with poet Menna Elfyn). Wexford Arts Centre, Ireland. Llantarnam Grange Art Centre, Cwmbran, Wales, National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth.
• 2012 Field-notes. (in collaboration with poet Menna Elfyn). Oriel Myrddin, Carmarthen. The Millennium Centre, Cardiff.
• 2011 Ein Natur/Our Nature. The National Botanic Garden of Wales.
• 2010 Cambrensis. Cardiff
• 2009 Tierra Incognita. St David’s Hall, Cardiff
• 2008 Field Notes. Interceltique Festival, L’Orient, Brittany
• 2008 Hon. Oriel Plas Glyn-y-Weddw, Gwynedd
• 2008 Island of the Heart. Rhondda Heritage Centre
• 2008 Maps & Vessels. Oriel Q, Narberth, Pems, Wales
• 2007 Hon, Ynys y Galon. Kooywood Gallery, Cardiff
• 2006 Mappa Mundi. Llantarnam Grange Art Centre, Cwmbran
• 2005 Agoriad. Inaugural exhibition. Galeri Caernarfon.
• 2004 Hon; The Shape of my Country. Cynon Valley Museum, Aberdare
• 2003 Gwales. Queens Hall, Narberth, Pembrokeshire
• 2002 Hanes/history Le Moyne College. Syracuse, USA
• 2001 Being in Water. (with Luis Peñeranda) Washington Gallery,
• Penarth, Wales
• 2000-01 Offerings + Reinventions. Oriel 31, Newtown. Glynn Vivian Gallery, Swansea.
• 1999 Flags for the Assembly. Museum of Modern Art, Wales Machynlleth.
• 1992-93 Hiraeth. Oriel, Cardiff. Wrexham Art Centre, Swansea Arts Workshop.
• 1991 Flowers of the Dead Red Sea. Tramway, Glasgow. Chapter, Cardiff. Brentford Art Centre, London.
• 1990 National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

• 2018-20. Literary Atlas Wales. Various venues touring.
• 2019 Wales Exhibition. Pan-Celtic Festival. L'Orient. Brittany.
• 2018 (A Language is) only words. Bay Art Gallery. Cardiff.
• 2016 A Journey for Jan Morris (90th Celebration). Oriel Plas Glyn-y-Weddw. north Wales.
• 2016 From Adams to Zobole. Llantarnam Grange Art Centre (50th Anniversary) Cwmbran.
• 2016 Romanticism in the Welsh Landscape. MOMA Machynlleth.
• 2015 Knowing Place. Gas Gallery, Aberystwyth.
• 2015 Y Colli a'r Ennill/The Losses and the Gains. Safle Celf, Galeri, Caernarfon, north Wales.
• 2014 PROsiect hAIcw (performance with Angharad Jenkins), Lyrical One. Mission Gallery, Swansea
• 2014 Correspondences. Responses to RS Thomas and Dylan Thomas. Oriel Q, Narberth.
• 2014 Fourteen. Llantarnam Grange Art Centre, Cwmbran, south Wales
• 2014 Summer Show. Gallery/Ten, Cardiff
• 2014 Raw Materials. The Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales
• 2014 Open Books. University of New South Wales, Canberra, Australia
• 2014 Drawing Exhibition. Albany Gallery, Cardiff
• 2014 Correspondences: An exhibition of Paintings by Contemporary Artists in response to the Life and Writing of R.S. Thomas. Oriel Plas Glyn-y-Weddw. north Wales.
• 2013 National Eisteddfod of Wales, Denbigh. (Ivor Davies Award winner)
• 2013 Open Book. Sanshang Contemporary Art Museum, Hangzhou, China
• 2013 Welsh Artist of the Year (Drawing Award Prize), St David's Hall, Cardiff
• 2013 Open Book. Bay Art Gallery, Cardiff. Bookarts Centre, University of the West of England, Bristol
• 2012 The Other Exhibition. The University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd
• 2012 Deg/Ten. Oriel Canfas, Cardiff
• 2012 Derek Williams Collection. National Museum and Gallery of Wales, Cardiff
• 2012 Welsh Artist of the Year. St Davids Hall, Cardiff
• 2012 Citizen 3. tactileBosch, Cardiff
• 2012 The Exhibitionists. National Museum and Gallery of Wales, Cardiff. (In conjunction with BBC Wales series The Exhibitionists)
• 2012 Open Book: Sixteen Artists and the Chinese Folding Book. National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth.
• 2012 Beyond the Frame. Miami Five, Cuba Support Exhibition, Gallery 27, Cork St, London and The Lighthouse, Glasgow
• 2011 Ten Years In. Bay Art Gallery, Cardiff
• 2011 Lifetime to Legacy. National Museum and Gallery of Wales, Cardiff.
• 2010 National Eisteddfod of Wales. (Winner of People’s Choice prize)
• 2009 Ad Hoc. The Old Library, Cardiff
• 2009 in their own words, Bank Street Arts, Sheffield
• 2009 Celebrating the Red Dragon. The Three Gorges Museum, Chongqing; Wall Gallery, Beijing; River South Arts Centre, Shanghai; Hexi Gallery, Guangzhou
• 2008 Bossa Nova. tactileBosch, Cardiff
• 2007 Gair o Gelf. Millennium Centre, Cardiff
• 2006 In Arcadia tactileBosch, Cardiff
• 2006 The Painted Pot. Newport Museum & Art Gallery, Newport, Wales
• 2006 others came by sea. Coedhills Rural Artspace, Wales
• 2006 Strata. Site specific installation in the ruined Abbey’s of Strata Florida, Wales and Kells, Kilkenny, Ireland
• 2006 Wales Modern. The Gate Arts Centre, Cardiff
• 2005 V11 Xuntanza Exhibition. Museum D.Ramon Aller, Lalin, Galicia, Spain
• 2005 Identidades. Morelia, Michoacán, México
• 2004 Ysbryd/Spirit. The Gate Art Centre, Cardiff
• 2004 V11 Xuntanza Obradoiro - International das Artes Plasticas Museo A Solaina Galicia, Spain
• 2004 Horizons. Haagse Kunstkring. Den Haag, Holland
• 2004 Welsh Contemporaries. Paddington, London
• 2002 A Propos (Ceri Richards) National Museum & Gallery of Wales,
• 2002 Ysbryd/Spirit. Le Salle Aragon, Trellises. Le Centre Culturel, Tir Ar Vro, Carhaix
• 2001 Festival Interceltique de L’Orient. Brittany
• 2001 Dreaming Awake. Touring Exhibition, Czech Republic
• 2001 Wales, Unauthorised Version. House of Croatian Artists, Zagreb
• 2001 Ysbryd/Spirit. The Mall Galleries, London
• 2001 Wales European Office, Brussels
• 2000 Locws International. Swansea
• 2000 Certain Welsh Artists. National Museum& Gallery of Wales, Cardiff and Glynn Vivian Gallery, Swansea.
• 2000 Painting the Dragon. National Museum& Gallery of Wales, Cardiff
• 1999 Clean Slate. Wales Arts International/Artists Project. Cardiff
• 1998 National Eisteddfod of Wales
• 1998 Landmarks. Art in Wales Gallery, National Museum& Gallery of Wales
• 1997 National Eisteddfod of Wales. Y Bala (Gold Medal winner for Fine Art)
• 1997 Mostyn Open 8. Oriel Mostyn, Llandudno
• 1997 Myth and Modernity. Rotunda Gallery, Hong Kong
• 1997 Ffiniau/Borders. Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb. Dioklcijanovi Podrumi, Split, Croatia and Howard Gardens Gallery, Cardiff. National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff
• 1996 Transformations. The Artists' Museum, Lodz, Poland
• 1995 Standpoints. Wrexham Arts Centre
• 1994 Site-ations. Artists' Project International Event, Cardiff
• 1993 My Home is Your Home. Construction in Process 1V. Lodz, Poland

CURATING

• 2018 (A Language is) only words. Bay Art Gallery. Cardiff.
• 2016 A Journey for Jan Morris (90th Celebration). Oriel Plas Glyn-y-Weddw. north Wales.
• 2015 Y Colli a'r Ennill/The Losses and the Gains. Safle Celf, Galeri, Caernarfon, north Wales.(10th Anniversary)
• 2005 Agoriad. Launch exhibition. Galeri, Caernarfon
• 2002 Capel Celyn. Artists Response to Tryweryn, Canolfan y Plase, Y Bala
• 2001 Certain Welsh Artists. Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea
• 2000 Certain Welsh Artists. National Museum & Gallery of Wales, Cardiff
• 1999 Darllen Delweddau. St David’s Hall, Cardiff
• 1991-92 Trosi/Trasnu. Touring exhibition, Wales and Ireland.
• 1989 Armed of Dreams. West Wharf Gallery, Cardiff

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

• Ty Newydd. Centre for Literature, Llanystumdwy
• Butetown History and Arts Centre, Cardiff
• St David's Hall, Cardiff (loan)
• The Imperial War Museum, London
• The National Museum and Gallery of Wales, Cardiff. (Derek Williams Trust Purchase)
• The National Library of Wales
• The University of Wales Trinity St David
• Y Tabernacl, The Museum of Modern Art, Wales at Machynlleth
• The Contemporary Art Society for Wales
• The University of South Wales, Pontypridd
• The National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Bulawayo
• Newport Museum and Gallery
• Carmarthen Museum
• Brecknock Museum and Gallery
• Asolaina, Galicia, Spain
• Orbis Pictus Europa, Hornicke Muzeum, Pribram, Czech Republic
• Iturrienea Ostatua, Bilbao. Euskadi
• The Wales European Centre, Bruxelles. Belgium.
• S4C Television
• Ysgol y Berwyn, Y Bala
• South Glamorgan County Council

PUBLISHED BOOKS

• 2018 fragments....encounters with poetry. Monograph. H'mm Foundation, Cardiff.
• 2015 Encounters with Osi (Ed). Essays; Iwan Bala, Dai Smith, David Alston, Ivor Davies, Friends, Family and Former students of Osi Rhys Osmond. H'mm Foundation, Cardiff.
• 2007 Hon; Ynys y Galon. Monograph. Essays; Sian Melangell Dafydd, Prof. Sioned Davies, Twm Morys, Jon Gower, Iwan Llwyd. Gomer
• 2007 What Artists Need (Ed) Cywaith Cymru . Artworks Wales.
• 2005 Groundbreaking. The Artist and the Changing Landscape. (Ed). Seren/Cywaith Cymru . Artworks Wales.
• 2004 here + now. Essays on contemporary art in Wales. Iwan Bala. Seren
• 2000 Offerings + Reinventions. Monograph. Essays: Mike Tooby, Iwan Bala. Seren
• 2000 Darllen Delweddau. Iwan Bala. Gwasg Carreg Gwalch
• 1999 Certain Welsh Artists (edited and compiled by Iwan Bala) Seren

Essays published regularly in Planet magazine from 1999

• 2016 Ararat/Gwales. Wales Arts Review.
• 2016 Wales, Paradise for Artists?. Agenda, Institute of Welsh Affairs.
• 2015 The Spider, the Plants and the Black, Black Cot. essay for Shani Rhys James exhibition, National Library of Wales.
• 2014 Troubling Beauty. Catalogue essay for artist Liu Fan, Wuhan, China.
• 2014 A place that is going to be (Report from Qatar). Culture Colony Quarterly. Issue 2.
• 2013 Wales Made Visible Foreign Art and Culture magazine . Shanghai Translation Publishing House.
• 2013 Barddas (Interview with Twm Morys) Spring Issue 318
• 2013 ArtMotus, China. Re:Imaging Wales essay translated into Mandarin.
• 2012 Colli Cof, Colli Diwylliant. Taliesin, Cyf 145, Spring Issue. The Welsh Academy.
• 2011 A Study from Life. Evan Walters, Moments of Vision. P163 (Ed) Barry Plummer. Seren
• 2010 Poetry Wales, Issue 45.4 Poetry and the Visual
• 2009 Re: Imaging Wales. Wales-Art-World. Pays de Galles: quelle(s) image(s)?/ What Visibility for Wales. Centre de Recherche Bretonne et Celtique.
• 2008 Politics of Engagement or Engagement with Politics? Contemporary Art Practice in Wales. Following Petra. (Ed) Tony Curtis. Gregynog Press/Contemporary Art Society for Wales.
• 2006 Take me somewhere good. Re: Imaging Wales. (Ed) Hugh Adams. Seren
• 2005 Her Choreography. Essay on Sue Williams, Artes Mundi catalogue.
• 2005 Horizon Wales. Postcolonial Wales. (Ed) Jane Aaron, Chris Williams. University of Wales Press
• 2004 Gair am Gelf. Taliesin. Cyf 122, Summer 2004. (The Welsh Academy)
• 2004 Islands of the Floating World. Artes Mundi Catalogue. Seren
• 2003 A suitable case for study. Process, The Work of Tim Davies. Seren

CATALOGUES AND REFERENCE

• Romancing Wales, Peter Wakelin. MOMA Machynlleth 2016,
• Correspondences. Responses to RS Thomas and Dylan Thomas. Oriel Plas Glyn-y-Weddw 2014.
• Artist y pell ar agos. Luned Aaron. Barn magazine 611/612 Dec/January 2014.
• R.S. Thomas. Serial Obsessive. M.Wynn Thomas. University of Wales Press. 2013.
• Can You Tell Me the Way to Windsor? Osi Rhys Osmond. Planet 207. August 2013.
• Blown magazine. Jon Gower. Autumn 2012 Issue.
• Field-notes. Planet 205. February 2012.
• Cartographies of Culture: Six Maps of Welsh Writing in English. Damian Walford Davies. University of Wales Press. 2012.
• Field-notes/Nodiadau-maes. (Exhibition catalogue) essays by Mike Parker and Ciara Healy. Oriel Myrddin 2012.
• The Meaning of Pictures. Images of Individual, Social and Political Identity. Peter Lord. University of Wales Press 2009.
• A catalogue of the Derek Williams collection 1993-2006.
• The Derek Williams Trust. NMGW 2007.
• Imaging the Imagination (Ed) Christine Kinsey, essay Osi Rhys Osmond. Gwasg Gomer 2005.
• Imaging Wales (Ed) Hugh Adams. Seren 2003.
• Living in Wales, Portraits by David Hurn. Seren 2003.
• A Propos (catalogue) essay Mike Tooby NMGW 2002.
• Being in Water (catalogue) essay Richard Gwyn 2002.
• Wales Unauthorised Version (catalogue) Alex Farquahason 2001.
• Painting the Dragon (Ed) Prof Anthony Jones NMGW 2000.
• Flags for the Assembly (catalogue) essay Jill Piercy 1999.
• Borders (catalogue) The Artists' Project 1997.
• Welsh Painters Talking (Ed) Prof Tony Curtis. Seren 1997.
• Myth and Modernity, Nine Welsh Artists (catalogue) essay, Nigel Cameron. Hongkong Land 1997.
• Intimate Portraits. Glynne Vivian Art Gallery, 1995.
• Standpoints (catalogue) Wrexham Library Arts Centre/Arts Council of Wales 1995.
• Gwenllian. Essays on Visual Culture Peter Lord. Gomer 1994.
• Hiraeth (catalogue) essay Fintan O'Toole. Oriel/Arts Council of Wales 1993.

Books with I Bala Cover illustrations:

• The Oxford Literary History of Wales: Volume 2. Writing in Welsh, c.1740-2010: A Troubled Heritage. T.Robin Chapman.
  Oxford University Press. Oxford 2020.
• The Oxford Literary History of Wales: Volume 3. Welsh Writing in English, 1536-1914: The First Four Hundred Years. Jane Aaron. Oxford
  University Press. Oxford. 2020
• All That is Wales: The Collected Essays of M. Wynn Thomas. Writing Wales in English. University of Wales Press.
  Cardiff. 2017
• Cyfan-dir Cymru: Ysgrifau ar Gyfannu Dwy Lenyddiaeth Cymru (Y Meddwl a'r Dychymyg Cymreig) M Wynn Thomas.University of Wales Press
  2017
• Rarely Pretty Reasonable. David Greenslade. Gwasg Dark Windows 2013
• Byw Brwydr.Detholiad o ganu gwleidyddol 1979-2013. Ed Hywel Griffiths. Cyhoeddiadau Barddas 2013
• Ffiniau Aflonydd. Drustvo slovenskih pisateljev. Ljubljana 2010.
• Wales and the Wider World. Welsh History in an International Context. Ed T.N.Charles-Edwards and R.J.W. Evans. Shaun Tyas. 2010.
• Nineteenth Century Womens Writing in Wales. Nation , Gender and Identity. Jane Aaron. University of Wales Press, Cardiff 2010. (Winner of
  the 2009 Roland Mathias Prize)
• Will Britain Survive Beyond 2020? David Melding. Institute of Welsh Affairs, Cardiff 2009.
• Walesland. Nigel Wells and Caryl Lewis. Gomer, Llandysul 2006.
• Postcolonial Wales. Ed Jane Aaron, Chris Williams. University of Wales Press, Cardiff 2005.
• Postcolonialism Revisited. Writing Wales in English. Kirsty Bohata. University of Wales Press, Cardiff 2004.
• The Monstrous Debt: Modalities of Romantic Influence in Twentieth-Century Literature Ed Damian Walford Davies. Detroit: Wayne State
  University Press, 2004; with Richard Marggraf Turley. Damian’s own essay in the volume is entitled ‘“In the Path of Blake”: Dylan Thomas’s
  “Altarwise by Owl-light”’.
• Celtic Hot Tub. David Greenslade. Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, Llanrwst. 2003.
• Ar Wasgar. Theatr a chenedligrwydd yn y Gymru Gymraeg 1979-1997. Roger Owen. University of Wales Press, Cardiff 2003.
• Rhwng Gwyn a Du. Agweddau ar Ryddiaeth Gymraeg y 1990au. Angharad Price. University of Wales Press, Cardiff 2002
• Footsore on the Frontier. Nigel Jenkins. Gomer, Llandysul 2001
• The New Companion to the Literature of Wales. Complied and edited by Meic Stephens. University of Wales Press, Cardiff 1998.
• Cerddi Alltudiaeth. Themau yn Llenyddiaeth Quebec, Catalunia a Chymru. Paul.W.Birt. University of Wales Press, Cardiff 1997.
• Welsh Retrospective. Dannie Abse. Seren, Bridgend. 1997.
• Books with I Bala cover and inside illustrations:
• Rarely Pretty Reasonable. David Greenslade. Dark Window Press 2013
• Fishbone. David Greenslade. Y Wasg Israddol. 1993
• Cyw Dol. Twm Miall. Y Lolfa. 1990.
• Cyw Haul. Twm Miall. Y Lolfa, Talybont.1988.
• Dan Anesthetig. Cerddi gan Iwan Llwyd, Darluniau gan Iwan Bala. Gwasg Taf, Caerdydd 1987.

EXPERTISE
Forty years experience of fine art practice, critical writing and exhibition curating. Published a comprehensive series of essays on contemporary art and artists in Wales. Has lectured widely and presented several Welsh Language television programmes on visual art, from Harare to Bilbao, from Kiev to Belfast.
Lectures/Conferences

• "Custodial Aesthetics, The Janus Effect". WALES; In Search of Heritage Colloquium, University of Bangor.2016.
• "Public Art, Art in Public", School of Fine Art, Hangzhou, China 2016
• "Custodial Aesthetics", Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan, China 2016
• "Word as Image". Burnt Poetry Symposium. Cardiff University. 2016
• "The Spider, the Plants and the Black, Black Cot" National Library of Wales 2015
• “Gair am Gelf” University of Wales Trinity St David. Oct 2013
• Lecture on "Field-notes", National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth. 2013
• “Re-imaging Wales” Royal South West of England Academy, Bristol. 2012
• On Anselm Kiefer (with Osi Osmond). Oriel Mostyn, Llandudno. 2012
• “On Venice” co-ordinator. Taliesin Art Centre, Swansea University 2010
• “Re: Imaging Wales”. Sichuan Institute of Fine Art and Three Gorges Museum, Chongqing. 2009
• “The Performativity of Emptiness.” Research and Lecture. University of Bristol and University of Wales. Aberystwyth, held on Epynt mountain. June 2007.
• “What Image Wales.” Guest Lecturer, University of Brest. January 2007.
• Contemporary Art Society for Wales. Lecture. 2005
• “What Artists Need/Anghenion Artistiaid” Organiser of Lectures and symposia for Cywaith Cymru . Artwork Wales. (The national body for Public Art) 2002-2006.
• North American Society for the Study of Welsh Culture and History. Annual Conference. Invited Speaker. Swansea University 2005
• Word and Image, Guest Lecturer/ co organiser. Conference hosted by Academi, National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth. 2005
• North American Society for the Study of Welsh Culture and History. Annual Conference. Invited Speaker, LeMoine University, Syracuse. USA. 2002
• Conference of Welsh Writing in English, Guest Speaker, Gregynnog 2001
• Wales Art International/British Council, Lecture on Welsh Art, British Council, Milan. 1999