Cardigan’s acclaimed art gallery ORIEL Canfas is preparing to celebrate the long-awaited return of the National Eisteddfod – 850 years after it was first held at Cardigan Castle.

In the run up to Eisteddfod y Garreg Las at nearby Llantood this August, Oriel Canfas Gallery – sponsor of the 2026 Eisteddfod Gold Medal for Fine Art – is presenting Standing Stones and Living Echoes, two interwoven exhibitions by painter Gillian McDonald and sculptor Nicola Beattie, whose practices are deeply rooted in the landscapes of west Wales.

Drawing inspiration from Pembrokeshire’s ancient stones - enduring markers of time, imagination, and belonging - the artists’ work explores the land as both memory and material, where surface, light, and texture become languages of endurance and renewal.

This year’s Eisteddfod takes place in an area named for the striking local bluestone that defines both the region and its creative heritage.

It is this same landscape that informs the work of artists McDonald and Beattie, grounding their art in the elemental dialogue between stone, time, and human touch.

“With the Eisteddfod returning to the area there’s a strong sense of homecoming,” said James Horan, the director of Oriel Canfas, which is based on Cardigan’s Grosvenor Hill.

“These exhibitions grow from the same landscape that shaped our poetry and art, celebrating the land and the spirit that continue to define Cardigan’s creative core.”

The exhibitions will be on display from Tuesday, 31 March to Saturday, 25 April, with a spring drinks reception planned for Saturday, 11 April from 1pm until 3pm. The drinks reception presents an opportunity for the community to meet the artists behind the two new shows.

For more information about the gallery and the exhibitions on display, visit the ORIEL Canfas website at https://canfas.co.uk/