A Thousand Portraits of St Davids
Ten years ago St Davids artist Grahame Hurd-Wood set out to paint portraits of every person who lives in his city. So far he’s made it to 1,000 (out of a target figure of 1,800).The project had its beginnings in the fatal illness of Hurd-Wood’s fiancée and fellow artist, Debbie Best. Towards the end of her life, he painted her portrait and she encouraged him to continue producing portraits of others after her death.
Artist and art… Grahame Hurd-Wood
The exhibition at the Pierhead Building, next to the Senedd, has been sponsored by the First Minister for Wales, Eluned Morgan, who is also MS for Mid and West Wales.
She said of the show: “Each portrait tells a story – of friendship, of shared memories, of lives woven together by the threads of our city. It captures not just faces but the essence of who we are as a community. I am immensely proud to see this exhibition come to Cardiff Bay, bringing a piece of St Davids to the capital.”
Morgan’s family has roots in the St Davids area, and she and some of her relatives are featured in the portraits on show.
Portrait of Debbie Best, inspiration for the project
Whether you know the people of St Davids or not, this is an intensely moving exhibition. The soft, pastel shades that colour the portraits create a gentle, contemplative atmosphere. And there is a true poignancy in the fact that every one of the faces represented here is of an individual person and a real human life. All are treated equally by the artist and portrayed with empathy and respect.
City Of Portraits runs until 12 April at:
Pierhead Building
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff
CF99 1SN
0300 200 6565
