Shani Rhys James
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Shani Rhys James MBE (born 1953)BBC Wales Art
Shani Rhys James
last updated 28 September 2010. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
is a Welsh painter based in
Llangadfan Llangadfan is a small village in Powys, Wales, based in the community of Banwy. The village lies on the A458 between Foel and Llanerfyl, from Llanwddyn. Dyfnant Forest is located nearby. The village is said to be known for its country dances. ...
,
Powys Powys ( , ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It borders Gwynedd, Denbighshire, and Wrexham County Borough, Wrexham to the north; the English Ceremonial counties of England, ceremo ...
. She has been described as "arguably one of the most exciting and successful painters of her generation" and "one of Wales' most significant living artists".Matt Thoma
''Shani Rhys James revels in French connection''
Western Mail, 8 October 2010. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
She was elected to the
Royal Cambrian Academy of Art The Royal Cambrian Academy of Art (RCA) is a centre of excellence for art in Wales. Its main gallery is located in Conwy and it has over a hundred members. 240px, Plas Mawr, Conwy Early history During the 19th century there were numerous attempt ...
in 1994.Martin Tinney Galler
Shani Rhys James MBE RCA b.1953
Retrieved 6 November 2011.
In the 2006 New Years Honours she was appointed Member of the
Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(MBE) for "services to art".


Early life

Shani Rhys James was born in 1953 in Melbourne, Australia, the daughter of a Welsh father and an Australian mother and came to the UK as a child. At six years old Rhys James was ill with
thrombocytopenia In hematology, thrombocytopenia is a condition characterized by abnormally low levels of platelets (also known as thrombocytes) in the blood. Low levels of platelets in turn may lead to prolonged or excessive bleeding. It is the most common coag ...
. She describes this time spent out of school as being significant for allowing her time to play and enter a state of child-like games and develop her imagination during these important early years. Growing up in Australia during her early years was by her own admission a particular contributing factor from her childhood to her decision to make art a career. Her mother told her not to go to art school as the best artists she knew didn't attend. She was however encouraged by staying with
Charles Blackman Charles Raymond Blackman (12 August 1928 – 20 August 2018) was an Australian painter, noted for the ''Schoolgirl, Avonsleigh'' and ''Alice in Wonderland'' series of the 1950s. He was a member of the Antipodeans, a group of Melbourne painte ...
as well as having artist friends during childhood. Theatre was also a large influence as Rhys James's mother was an actress. Constant production of scenery, props and theatre costumes as well as rehearsal of parts all formed part of the environment that surrounded her during childhood. Early education took place in
Eltham Eltham ( ) is a district of South London, southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is east-southeast of Charing Cross, and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. The three ...
, Australia from 5 to 9 years of age then Parliament Hill Girls School, London.


Education and career

Rhys James studied at Loughborough College of Art and Design and in 1976 obtained a degree in Fine Art at
Saint Martin's School of Art Saint Martin's School of Art was an art school, art college in London, England. It offered foundation and degree level courses. It was established in 1854, initially under the aegis of the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Saint Martin's beca ...
, in London. She later moved to Powys to live and work, taking her young family with her.Stephanie McNichola
''Meet the women leading Wales''
Western Mail, 12 November 2003. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
Rhys James is known particularly for her melancholy self-portraits.Susie Wil
''Art: On Reflection''
Metro, 8 July 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
Her 1993 '' Studio with Gloves'' shows her sitting in her studio. When she is not painting herself she generally paints other women, still lifes, domestic scenes or "riotously spiky and rip-roaring" vases of flowers. Art critic Michael Glover says "There's something mad, wild and thuggish about this work, such is its total lack of restraint. It seems to be gulping at colour... She lathers and slathers on the paint with a kind of unrestrained glee. No wonder the eyes of the model are always slightly bulbous with a kind of childish wonderment".Michael Glove
''Shani Rhys James, Connaught Brown, London: Mad dashes and flying colours''
The Independent, 17 June 2009. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
Prints, studies in charcoal and ink are also produced by Rhys James as well as painting. Rhys James has been elected to the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art and the 56 Group Wales. In 2011 the artist and entertainer,
Rolf Harris Rolf Harris (30 March 1930 – 10 May 2023) was an Australian musician, television personality, painter, and actor. He used a variety of instruments in his performances, notably the didgeridoo and the Stylophone, and is credited with the inventi ...
, included Rhys James in a BBC TV series on 'great' Welsh artists. She was the only living artist included. Harris painted a self-portrait in the style of Rhys James, using a small hand mirror and looking at his face 'as a landscape'.''Can you tell who it’s by yet? – Rolf Harris''
Western Mail, 12 February 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
Rhys James has exhibited across
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, also in the US, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia. She is represented by the Martin Tinney Gallery, Cardiff.


Solo exhibitions

''Listed by BBC Wales Arts webpage unless otherwise stated.'' * 1992 – Beaux Arts, Bath * 1993 – Blood Ties, Wrexham Library Arts Centre, touring exhibition * 1994 – Glyn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea; Midlands Art Centre, Birmingham; Newport Museum and Art Gallery; Carmarthen Art Gallery * 1995 – Martin Tinney Gallery, Cardiff * 1996 – Re-Vision, Fettered Past, Midlands Art Centre, Birmingham * 1997 – Facing the Self, Mostyn Art Gallery, Llandudno, also touring * 2000 – The inner Room, Stephen Lacey Gallery, London * 2003 – Significant Paintings, Museum of Modern Art Wales, Machynlleth * 2003 – Recent Paintings, Martin Tinney Gallery, Cardiff * 2004 – The Black Cot, Aberystwyth Arts Centre touring exhibition * 2005 – Layers, Martin Tinney Gallery, Cardiff * 2008 – Martin Tinney Gallery, Cardiff * 2009 – Two Ateliers, Connaught Brown Gallery, London * 2010 – Martin Tinney Gallery, Cardiff * 2010 – Hillsboro Fine Art, Dublin * 2014 – ''Florilingua'', installation in the foyer of the
Wales Millennium Centre Wales Millennium Centre () is Wales' national arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on ...
, Cardiff * 2015 – ''Distillation'', landmark exhibition of Shani Rhys James's work at the
National Library of Wales The National Library of Wales (, ) in Aberystwyth is the national legal deposit library of Wales and is one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies. It is the biggest library in Wales, holding over 6.5 million books and periodicals, and the l ...
, Aberystwyth


Prizes and awards

''Listed by Martin Tinney Gallery unless otherwise stated. * 1989 First Prize, Wales Open, Aberystwyth Arts Centre * 1990 Second Prize, Wales Open, Aberystwyth Arts Centre * 1991 First Prize, Mostyn Open, Oriel Mostyn, Llandudno * 1992
Gold Medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have b ...
for Fine Art,
National Eisteddfod of Wales The National Eisteddfod of Wales ( Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competito ...
* 1993
Hunting Art Prize The Hunting Art Prize is awarded annually to an artist for excellence in drawing and painting. The prize of $50,000, sponsored by Hunting plc, was established in the United Kingdom in 1981 and was mostly awarded to British artists before relocating ...
/Observer Art Prizes * 1994 Elected member of 56 Group Wales * 1994 Elected member of Royal Cambrian Academy * 1994 Winner of the BBC Wales Visual Art Award 1994 * 1994 Second Prize, BP National Portrait Award * 2003 Woman of Culture, Welsh Women of the Year Awards * 2003 Winner of the Jerwood Painting PrizeJerwood Painting Prize 2003
. Jerwood Space. Retrieved September 2013.
* 2006 Creative Wales Award, Arts Council of Wales * 2007 Honorary Fellowship, University of Wales Institute Cardiff * 2007 Glyndwr Award for an Outstanding Contribution to Arts in Wales, presented by MOMA Wales * 2008 Honorary Fellowship, Hereford College of Art


Personal life

Rhys James is married to artist Stephen West and has two children. Though she is widely viewed as Welsh she is an Australian passport holder and describes herself as a "mongrel
Celt The Celts ( , see Names of the Celts#Pronunciation, pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples ( ) were a collection of Indo-European languages, Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient Indo-European people, reached the apoge ...
". She has bought a second home in Charente, France (2010), where she spends a lot of time.


See also

* What Do Artists Do All Day?


References


External links


Artist's profile at Martin Tinney Gallery
*
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhys James, Shani 1953 births Living people 20th-century Welsh painters 21st-century Welsh painters 20th-century Welsh women artists 21st-century Welsh women artists Alumni of Saint Martin's School of Art Artists from Melbourne Australian emigrants to Wales British people of Australian descent Members of the 56 Group Wales Welsh women painters Welsh Eisteddfod Gold Medal winners Welsh portrait painters 20th-century British women painters 21st-century British women painters