[English below]

Mae TEN yn falch o gyflwyno arddangosfa o baentiadau gan yr artist Annie Morgan Suganami

Yn adnabyddus am ei phortreadau a’i gwaith bywyd llonydd, dyma arddangosfa o bortreadau yn unig - ac un arbennig a beiddgar iawn sy’n rhoi llwyfan i rai sydd yn anaml yn cael eu portreadu

Cyfres yw ‘Olion Bywyd’ o 28 portread o hen wragedd Gymreig - yn grydcamalau a chrychau gosgeiddig i gyd. Dychmygol yw’r gwynebau - yn elfennau wedi’u benthyg a’u bathu at ei gilydd - ond er hynny yn gyfarwydd, a heb os yn dod ag atgof o berthynas teuluol i’r meddwl, boed yn fam, famgu neu Anti o’r capel

Mae pob un o’r gwragedd yn ganolbwynt y llun, yn sitters clasurol sydd yn eistedd i gael eu paentio a’u cofnodi - a’u cofio. Mae ambell awgrym o wisg traddodiadol yma - y siôl, yn frethyn streipiog neu ffedog. Ond yn y croen mae manyldeb cain y paentio, gyda’r wyneb a’r dwylo yn y gôl yn tynnu’r sylw

Does dim cuddio yma, dim harddu di-angen, dim botox na’i gyffelyb ond yn hytrach y  corff a’i osgo naturiol, onest. Gwelwn hanes a phrofiad bywyd yn y croen â’i marciau a’i chrychau - tystiolaeth o oes o garu a galar, o boeni a chwerthin, o gario, gofalu a gwneud. Dyma wragedd sydd wedi byw, â braint y blynyddoedd hir wedi’u selio yn y croen meddal

Mae paentiadau cyfoethog, llifeiriol Suganami yn dangos sgìl hyderus ei brwsh. Ail-weithir y paent dro ar ôl tro, gyda haenau yn cael eu hadeiladu, eu rhwbio’n ôl a’u ail-adeiladu drachefn, cyn eu coroni ag amlinelliadau cryf a fflachiadau neon. Gyda un llinell medrus y brwsh daw ysgwydd blows, plyg llawes a bron drom i’r golwg. Mae’r rhwyddineb y mae Suganami yn defnyddio’i chyfrwng yn golygu nad yw ei phynciau yn anystwyth a ffurfiol ond yn hytrach yn fywiog a deinamig. Mae’r cyfuno o fanyldeb praff ochr yn ochr â marciau bras o fewn un paentiad yn cynnig amrywiaeth o bwyntiau diddorol i’r llygad. Wrth i gyfanswm y cyfuniad yma amwyrio o un llun i’r llall, ychwanega hyn at bersonoliaethau gwahanol y gwragedd i gyd

Un o lwyddiannau’r gyfres hwn yw’r tynerwch, yr hiwmor a’r cariad aruthrol a ddangosir at yr eisteddwyr – fel petaent yn cynrychioli’r holl wragedd oedrannus a gafodd effaith dawel ar y cenedlaethau a ddilynodd. Y matriarchiaid hynny - yn ganolog i fywyd teuluol, wedi’u hesgeuluso gan gymdeithas - yn deilwng o gael eu hymgorffori mewn paent

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TEN is proud to present an exhibition of paintings by artist Annie Morgan Suganami.

Known for both portraits and still life work, 'Olion Bywyd • Life Lines' is a bold exhibition of portraits only - one that gives a platform to subjects that are rarely portrayed.

'Olion Bywyd • Life Lines' is a collection of 28 portraits of old Welsh women - matriarchs in deep wrinkles and full arthritic glory. The faces are imagined - elements are borrowed and forged together - but nevertheless familiar, and they without a doubt, bring to mind memories of family members whether mother, grandmother or a chapel Aunty.

All of the subjects are placed at the centre of the painting, as is customary in classical portraiture, where the sitter is in the spotlight, to be painted and recorded - and remembered. There are a few hints of traditional dress - the shawl, a striped cloth or an apron, but the fine detail of the painting is in the skin, with the faces and hands in laps drawing attention.

There is no hiding here, no unnecessary beautification, no botox and its like. What we see is the real, honest and natural attitude of the body. We see history and experience of life in the skin with its marks and wrinkles - evidence of a lifetime of love and grief, of worry and laughter, of carrying, caring and doing. These are women who have lived, with the privilege of long years sealed in the soft skin.

Suganami's rich, flowing paintings demonstrate the confident skill of her brush. The paint is reworked again and again, with layers built up, rubbed back and rebuilt again, before being accented with strong outlines and neon flashes. With one skilful line of the brush, the shoulder of a blouse, a sleeve fold and a heavy bosom come into view. The ease with which Suganami uses her medium means that her subjects are not stiff and formal but rather lively and dynamic. The combination of fine detail alongside loose and immediate markings within one painting offers various points of interest for the eye. As the use of this combination varies from one painting to another, it further highlights the different personalities of the sitters.

One of the successess of this body of work is the tremendous tenderness, humour and love shown to the sitters - as if representing all the elderly women who made a quiet impact on the generations who followed. Those matriarchs - central to family life, overlooked by society - rightfully embodied in paint.

‘Ni allaf ddychmygu fy mywyd heb allu gwneud paentiadau o bobl.

Ers i mi ddechrau peintio pobl, boed o arsylwi neu’n ddychmygol, rwyf bob amser yn peintio cymeriadau sy'n dangos dyfalbarhad, dycnwch, gonestrwydd a charedigrwydd. Nhw yw fy eiconau personol o ddygnwch yn y cyfnod cynyddol ansicr hwn

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I cannot imagine my life without being able to make paintings of people.

Since I first started painting people, whether from observation or imagined, I have always and continue to paint characters that emanate perseverance, tenacity, honesty and kindness. They are my personal icons of endurance in these increasingly uncertain times’ - Annie Morgan Suganami

Wednesday - Saturday 10:30 - 17:00

The Coach House, Rear of 143 Donald Street, Cardiff, CF24 4TP

+44 (0) 29 2060 0495

info@gallery-ten.co.uk

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Artworks can be purchased online or by contacting the gallery:

info@gallery-ten.co.uk  |  029 2060 0495

Ein Celf • Own Art

Own Art is a national initiative providing interest-free credit for the purchase of original artwork. The purchase is split over 10 interest-free instalments, with no deposit, up to £5000.

To purchase an artwork through Own Art contact the gallery to be sent an online form: info@gallery-ten.co.uk  |  029 2060 0495

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