ALICE HACKNEY

FOREWORD

We are increasingly proud and excited, that our annual graduate exhibition Portal, continues to support emerging artists. Since 2009, Llantarnam Grange has been committed to increasing the confidence, and knowledge, that each new graduate requires to make a life as a creative.

From personal experiences, we know how tough it can be in the industry and how isolating ‘going it alone’ can feel. We hope to offer a support network, advice and a place where artists can feel valued.

As Exhibitions Officer, I am very aware that without the amazing artists (emerging and established) that collaborate with us, we wouldn’t be much of an arts organisation. This is why I stress the fact that we are here for artists, from professional advice to a friendly creative chat. This year Portal feels even more vibrant than before. A creative celebration. There is a sense of urgency and excitement, to share art that was created in such an unprecedented time. With disruptions to every aspect of life, many students were denied access to studios and workshops, threatening their development.

Keeping this in mind, I am overwhelmed by the quality of work showcased in Portal. A round of applause to everyone, for the tenacity shown in a time where being creative, was either a productive escape for the mind, or a source of pressure to create art on ‘gifted’ time.

Savanna Dumelow

Exhibitions Officier Llantarnam Grange

02 Portal 2022

INTRODUCTION

Portal is our annual group exhibition of graduate artists and makers that aims to demystify working in the arts. By giving new voices support, tools, and the opportunity to develop skills, Portal reaches beyond the gallery walls to give emerging artists the best possible start for forging sustainable careers.

Through a constellation of practices that range from painting, photography, soft sculpture, metal work, digital media, ceramics, and textiles, Portal 2022 showcases a collection of 15 of this year’s graduates. With artists from local institutions such as Cardiff Met, Coleg Gwent, and Hereford College of Arts, to further afield, including Ruskin School of Art, Oxford and Gray’s School of Art, Aberdeen. We hope that this exhibition captures the energy that is coming out of art schools throughout the UK.

The work on display explores the multiple ways we construct, and deconstruct, ourselves, as well as how we can connect, and rebuild our connections, with our surroundings. Through reflecting on how our identity is shaped by daily life, storytelling and societal expectations, these artists have considered how screens, imaginative play, personal histories, football, and experiences of motherhood and masculinity continue to impact our sense of self.

Moving beyond the individual, other work looks outwards, seeking to form meaningful relationships with our environment through acquiring lost knowledge, inhabiting bio-virtual landscapes, connecting to the soil, and consciously using biodegradable materials.

These concerns suggest a level of care and introspection that are perhaps a result of the isolation we have separately experienced over the last two years, combined with an urgent need to be part of, rather than in conflict with, the natural world.

Portal 2022 03