Commissioned through CELF the national contemporary art gallery for Wales
Supported by CELF the national contemporary art gallery for Wales, Newport Museum and Art Gallery commissioned three local artists to create works inspired by the national collection of contemporary art and Newport – the city’s residents, communities and landscape. The works have been added to the collection of Newport Museum and will remain available as a public resource and inspiration for current and future generations.
W.H. Davies enquires of Newport
by Beth Wilks
Triptych of papercuts, 2024/25
WILKS, Beth, W.H. Davies enquires of Newport © Beth Wilks/Newport Museum & Art Gallery
WILKS, Beth, W.H. Davies enquires of Newport © Beth Wilks/Newport Museum & Art Gallery
WILKS, Beth, W.H. Davies enquires of Newport © Beth Wilks/Newport Museum & Art Gallery
Beth decided to visualise the poem W.H. Davies enquires of Newport through the themes of history, community and rebellion. For Beth the idea of community is perhaps the most important facet of what makes Newport special. The vibrant, diverse and friendly people who make up Newport make Beth proud to belong.
Beth Wilks is a teacher and visual artist who works mainly through the medium of papercutting. She enjoys this technique as the work is intricate and detailed which contrasts with the naïve and simplistic appearance of papercuts.
Inspired by:
Osian Grifford, Protest Postcards
David Hurn, photographs of Newport people
David Jones, The Town Childs Alphabet
Kyffin Williams, West Bute Dock, Cardiff
Penrhiwceiber Art Trail Map by Eleanor Whiteman
Mirrored sky, beyond low tide
by Marion Cheung
mixed media on birchply, 2024/25
CHEUNG, Marion, Mirrored sky, beyond low tide © Marion Cheung/Newport Museum & Art Gallery
Marion’s work celebrates the River Usk as seen on many walks and from the perspective of a drone. Instead of painting a muddy river, Marion looks to capture the sky’s reflected colours. The palette also references Newport’s industrial past, aiming to evoke a feeling of expansion and freedom.
Marion Cheung explores the emotional resonance of landscapes in her work, blending memory with the experience of nature. Her inspiration comes from abstract expressionist painting and a process of 'way-finding' – responding intuitively to marks, shapes and colours on the surface.
Inspired by: David Hurn, Art Lesson by Gerda Roper in the garden of Prospect Cottage
Muriel Wharton
by Oriane Pierrepoint
Oil on canvas, 2024/25
PIERREPOINT, Oriane, Muriel Wharton © Oriane Pierrepoint/Newport Museum & Art Gallery
Following a public call to nominate a sitter for a portrait, Oriane painted Muriel Wharton who moved to Newport in 1961 from the West Indies island of St. Kitts. To find out about Muriel’s extraordinary story head to the People's Collection Wales website.
Working primarily in pastels and oil paints, Oriane Pierrepoint not only tries to achieve an accurate likeness of her subjects, but treats each portrait as an intense exploration of tone, colour and composition. Having attained a first-class degree in Fine Art from Oxford Brookes University, Oriane is establishing herself as portraitist, balancing commissioned work with other self-motivated paintings.
Inspired by: Joshua Donkor, Portrait of Eric Ngalle Charles
