Shani Rhys James MBE b. 1953

Shani's numerous awards include; Aberystwyth Open in 1992, Mostyn Open, Gold Medal at the National Eisteddfod, Hunting Observer Art Prize (1993), BP National Portrait Award, BBC Wales Visual Artist of the Year 1994, and the prestigious Jerwood Painting Prize in 2003.

She has also been the recipient of a Creative Wales Award from the Arts Council of Wales in 2006 and in 2013.

Shani was made an M.B.E. in 2006 for services to Welsh Art and also received an Honorary Fellowship from Wrexham Glyndŵr University in 2017. Two monographs have been published on the artist: The Black Cot Gomer Press 2004 and Rivalry of Flowers Seren Press 2013. 

She is represented in private collections worldwide, and can be found in prestigious collections including The National Museum of Wales  (Cardiff), National Library of Wales (Aberystwyth), Gallery of Modern Art (Glasgow), Newport Museum and Art Gallery, Glynn Vivian Museum & Art Gallery, Birmingham City Art Gallery, Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Museum of Modern Art Wales, Machynlleth, Contemporary Art Society of Wales, Arts Council of England, Jerwood Foundation, Victoria Gallery Bath, Ruth Borchard Collection, Columbia University Teachers College, Usher Gallery (Lincoln), New Hall College, Murray Edwards College (Cambridge), London Borough of Tower Hamlets, BBC Wales and Eigse Carlow Ireland.