Shani Rhys James MBE: The Golden Echo
10 May - 8 June, 2025
In previous shows, Shani has shown herself to be completely fearless. Now, in this latest exhibition of work both old and new, she adds passion, power and her own ‘golden echo’ to what promises to be an unforgettable series of paintings.
Francesca Rhudderch
Celf Gallery is delighted to announce an exhibition of paintings by the celebrated Welsh artist Shani Rhys James.
Shani Rhys James was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1953. Her father was a Welsh surgeon, and her mother was an Australian actor and artist. She relocated to the UK with her mother at the age of 10. Shani trained as an artist at Loughborough School of Art and St Martins School of Art, receiving a BA honours in Painting in 1976. In 1977 she married fellow artist Stephen West, and together they have two sons. She moved with her family to a derelict farm in Mid-Wales in 1984, converting the barns into studios where she now works.
Shani Rhys James’ paintings are all about the human condition. In this exhibition entitled The Golden Echo, the work focuses on morality, hope, and the nature of beauty. The title taken from a poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins, and with references to The Leaden Echo in previous work, The Golden Echo offers a glimmer of hope. The recent energetic flower paintings are lyrical and uplifting and reference an awareness and appreciation of nature. There is a juxtaposition between the fragility of human life and that of the flowers, whilst her portraits, with their assertive gaze, are captivating and charged with emotion. The paintings in this exhibition continue to challenge, provoke and thrill the observer with her creative vision.
Shani Rhys James has been awarded numerous prizes including the Jerwood prize, the National Portrait Award, Mostyn Open, Hunting Prize, and the Gold Medal at the National Eisteddfod of Wales. She received an MBE for services to Welsh art in 2006. She has also been the focus of many documentaries, including the 2014 BBC show What Do Artists Do All Day and the 2021 The Story of Welsh Art also on BBC. Her paintings are in the collections of National Museum of Wales; National Library of Wales; Arts Council of England; Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow; Victoria Gallery, Bath; Jerwood Foundation; and Pallant House Gallery.
Essay available by Welsh Novelist and academic Francesca Rhudderch.
