Wales Contemporary/Cymru Gyfoes is an international open competition for 2D and 3D artworks inspired by the country’s people, landscape, art history, traditions, and contemporary culture.

Developed by the Waterfront Gallery in association with the Welsh Government, the exhibition celebrates everything Welsh by gathering paintings, drawings, sculptures, crafts and more.

Over 1,150 submissions were sent in by 600 artists living across the United Kingdom and Europe but also stemming from countries as diverse as Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Japan, Russia and the United States.

All of the entries were considered by a prestigious panel of judges: artist Basil Beattie RA, painter and emeritus professor Gerda Roper, and sculptor Sebastien Boyesen, who selected a little over 150 pieces for the final exhibition.

The shortlisted artworks will be available to see in the Wales Contemporary/Cymru Gyfoes exhibition at the Waterfront Gallery, Milford Haven, from November 12 to Wednesday, December 30 and at the Gallery@OXO, London, from February 25 to March 7.

Now in its second year, Wales Contemporary/Cymru Gyfoes has established a strong reputation for championing art about Wales and from Wales.

In fact, the international competition has been described by artists and visitors as “a fantastic opportunity”, “a signal of the wealth of creativity in the country” and “a celebration of Wales’ land and culture in art.”

The 2020 exhibition brings together original, diverse, and often unexpected expressions of what makes Wales Welsh.

It offers a panorama of the country’s landscapes, including photorealistic depictions and impressionistic evocations, from its snowy mountain tops to its valley villages, from its mining communities to its industrial cities, from its green farmlands to its picturesque coasts.

In addition to meditative still-lives and vulnerable portraits, today’s socio-political context is equally represented, with crisp depictions of lockdown life as well as a meticulous and satirical Golden Age inspired Basket Of Fruit and Vegetables Attacked by Brexit Gremlins.

The following prizes will be awarded:

• Wales Contemporary Prize – Overall winner – £4,000

• 2-Dimensional 1st Prize – £2,000

• 2-Dimensional 2nd Prize – £500

• 3-Dimensional 1st Prize – £2,000

• 3-Dimensional 2nd Prize – £500

• Young Artist Prize (25 and under) – £1,000

• Prize for artists born, educated or resident in Wales – £1,500

• Public choice – £1,500