Gwynedd Art and Design student Elain Haf Walker has showcased her work in @109 gallery.

After seeing examples of her work on social media, the Bangor gallery got in touch with the 17-year old to ask her to take part in their Future Stars launch day.

As well as giving Elain her first gallery experience, the exhibition was a great opportunity to network with industry professionals, and she sold three prints and two original paintings.

“Seeing the red sticker at the end of the night gave me a rush of excitement knowing that someone appreciates my work enough to buy it,” Elain said.

“It reassured me that this is what I want to do in the future.”

The artwork Elain selected for the exhibition reflected her own personal journey of healing following trauma.

Elain said: “Taith Galar, my favourite painting in the exhibition, was inspired by a Pink Floyd song ‘The Great Gig in the Sky’, which expresses grief, trauma, and healing without words.

“This piece reflects my personal journey through trauma, exploring how chaos can evolve into calm and self-acceptance. The process itself was therapeutic, mirroring how healing unfolds over time.”

Elain contributes the confidence and artistic growth that resulted in her first exhibition to the support from her tutors at Coleg Menai.

“Their feedback has helped me develop my techniques

and experiment with ideas,” she said.

“They’ve also supported me to start believing in my own abilities and to push myself creatively.

“I struggled a lot in secondary school. The only subject I really enjoyed was art but I always saw it as a hobby. I had no idea what I wanted to do in the future.”

Starting the Level 3 Art and Design course at Coleg Menai set Elain on the path to a career in the creative industries.