Photo Cymru: 5 to See

Photo Cymru: 5 to See

Ffoto Cymru biennial takes over Wales for the first time. Building on the success of its predecessor, Diffusion Festival, it is a new photography event delivered by Ffotogallery, Cardiff. This showcase is anchored to a thought provoking theme and question: What You See is What You Get? Images on display interrogate what we see, whilst exploring how visuals shape cultural and identity – from AI imagery to historical archives. In a society where female artists and photographers are often overlooked, Ffoto Cymru dedicates its inaugural edition to women’s photography, with exhibitions from Adéọla Ayedun, Aisha Ajnabi, Melissa Rodrigues, Natela Grigalashvili and more. Here is a roundup of must-see shows.

Histories, Legacies & Futures | Oriel y Bont | 7-31 October

Histories, Legacies & Futures brings together the work of Melissa Rodrigues and Aisha Ajnabi. Rodrigues’ portraits draw inspiration from the photography of Seydou Keïta and African hairstyles, using the latter to represent a journey through African heritage and the diaspora. Ajnabi’s multi-medium series, (Officer am I) too far gone?, documents the re-enactment of a 1920s historical event. Works in this exhibition emphasise the legacies of colonial policing in the UK whilst honouring the ancestors who anchor the series.

The Final Days of Georgian Nomads | Former Cranes Music Store | 5-31 October

Mountainous Adjara is a unique region in Georgia where traditions and old ways of life are preserved. However, the area’s isolation has long been a challenge. Inhabitants face educational gaps, inadequate healthcare and frequent electricity shortages, which is devastating especially during harsh winters. These conditions have led to depopulation and the fading of the region’s unique lifestyle, with many families becoming eco-migrants, moving to other regions or abroad. Learn more in this insightful exhibition.

ain’t I a woman? | Cyfarthfa Castle Museum & Art Gallery | 11 October – 5 January

ain’t I a woman? explores the history, heritage and future of the industrial movement, focusing on the impact of suffrage in Merthyr Tydfil. It takes a closer look at the role Rose Mary Crawshay of Cyfarthfa Castle played during this significant period in society. Artist Adéọla Ayedun and Catriona Abuneke display photography, wallpaper and installations that blend imagery from the Cyfarthfa Castle archives with both newly staged and existing images depicting the Yorùbá goddess of trade and economic prosperity, Adje.

The Imagined Land of Belonging | Ffotogallery | 5-31 October

Ffotogallery has partnered with Elysium to present the work of three great image-makers in the Foto Féminas network: Julieta Anaut, Luiza Kons and Lorena Marchetti. The Foto Féminas network is dedicated to amplifying the visibility of female and non-binary photographers from Latin America and the Caribbean. This exhibition, titled The Imagined Land of Belonging, showcases a diverse collection of photographic works, unified by a shared curiosity of our connections to landscapes, family, heritage and ritual.

Hidden Masters: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes | Vue Cinema Cardiff | 9 October

Iris Prize screens this documentary about the life of George Platt Lynes. He was an American fashion and commercial photographer who is recognised today as a master of 20th century photography. From visionary art director Sam Shahid, Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes features a collection of photography from the 1930s to 1950s, uncovering a lesser-known side of Lynes’ life and work – his gifted eye for photographing the male form and lasting influence as one of the first openly gay American artists.


Photo Cymru, Wales International Festival of Photography | 1-31 October

ffotogallery.org/ffotocymru

Words: Diana Bestwish Tetteh


Image Credits:

  1. © Ada Marino
  2. © Jessie Edwards-Thomas
  3. © Chloe Davies
  4. Brenhines y Cwps (The Cooper’s Arms Queen), 1996 © Marian Delyth
  5. © Luiza Kons