Gwyn Robert with ceramics by Paul Wearing

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Powerful paintings by Gwyn Roberts inspired by the tragedy of the 1918 flu pandemic.  The largest and by far the most dramatic on show is a triptych measuring three metres wide. It is a stunning tribute not only to Gwyn’s grandfather who died in the 1918 flu pandemic, but also to his grandmother whose life would be changed for ever and to the many thousands of people who have suffered as a result of the present pandemic.

The idea for the painting came when Gwyn was recovering in hospital after slipping while gardening at home in April 2020. He broke the femur in his right leg very badly and had to stay in hospital for nine days following substantial surgery.

Gwyn, who studied Fine Art at Norwich School of Art, said it was a particularly tough time. He was supposed to be shielding and staying at home due to the Covid-19 lockdown, not in hospital worrying about the new pandemic.

Gwyn said: “During my hospital stay, I had plenty of time to think.  I started reminiscing about my grandparents, Elias and Elizabeth Hughes, and the great hardship that they suffered as a result of the last pandemic, namely the flu pandemic of 1918. I decided to paint a picture in memory of my grandparents.

“This very personal and contemporary painting is inspired by the natural features of Cwm Eigiau in Snowdonia where my grandfather farmed.  The cliffs of Craig yr Ysfa, at the far end of Cwm Eigiau under Carnedd Llywelyn, are the main feature in the painting.”

There are also some poignant quotes included in the paintings from a letter Gwyn’s grandfather wrote on Monday evening, 11 November 1918 that Gwyn only recently came across.

Gwyn explains: “My grandfather wrote the letter to a farmhand, who wanted to return to the farm from the army now that the war was coming to an end.  In the letter, he talks about the effect of the flu pandemic on the community and names local people who have recently died. 

“Within ten days of the letter, he himself had died from the flu at the age of 36, leaving behind a young wife and three children under the age of five, including a small baby.  Life would never be the same.”

Alongside Gwyn’s paintings are ceramics from Paul Wearing. The Cardiff-based ceramicist was Welsh Artist of the Year – Craft Section Prize Winner in 2002, and has exhibited widely across the UK and internationally, also receiving several grants from the Arts Council of Wales over the years.

He says: “My hand-built sculptural vessels are inspired by our interconnectedness with nature’s seasons and cycles. It is the correlation between the slower emerging cycles of nature and the making processes which harness innate material qualities leading to alchemical developments within the kiln that underpins my work.”