The National Waterfront Museum in Swansea presents the artistic talent of John Uzzell Edwards with a fabulous series of abstract paintings from his world famous Welsh quilts collection.
John Uzzell Edwards
John, originally from the Rhymney Valley, but who has lived in the Upper Swansea Valley for the past 33 years, has been a keen painter since 1960.
His work has always been inspired by Wales and its associated social and industrial history as well as his love for Welsh quilts and blankets. John uses the different patterns, textures, material and rhythms of the quilts to produce his own interpretative paintings.
Some of the quilts which have inspired John’s work, and also on display as part of the exhibition, include a Swansea Crazy Quilt, made from scraps of velvet from a pre-war milliners shop in the town, a Llanelli Quilt, made entirely from miner’s shirts in the late 19th century and a Log Cabin Quilt, which features scraps from women’s working clothes from the 1890s including the purple tiny-flowered cotton of maid’s dresses.
Andrew Deathe, Gallery Author at the Museum, said: “It’ll be a great addition to the exhibition programme this season. John really captures the warmth and comfort of a quilt as well as the fascinating history behind the scraps of material. On a cold winters day what could be better than cwtching up with these gorgeous paintings?”
As well as the paintings, there will be a short film about John’s life as a painter filmed at his studio in the Upper Swansea Valley. Prints of some of John paintings will also be for sale in the Museum shop. – www.museumwales.ac.uk