A thought-provoking new exhibition exploring the power of the portrait has opened in the Gregynog Gallery at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Using historic and contemporary Welsh art, the Portrait and Power exhibition considers how identity, gaze and power flow through portraiture. It will also invite the visitor to look carefully at the works on display and to rethink the purpose and effect of a portrait.

Whilst enjoying the artistic brilliance of the works on display, the audience will also be encouraged to question traditional roles and challenge visual conventions.

Contemporary artists such as Anya Paintsil, Natalie Chapman and Shani Rhys James use the portrait to confront the politics of looking — turning the gaze back on the viewer, reclaiming the body, and making space for stories of care, ageing, motherhood, and identity that rarely enter public collections. These newly commissioned or acquired works sit at the heart of this exhibition, expanding who is seen and on whose terms.

With the approach of her 150th anniversary, the exhibition will also include a case study relating to the Gwen John, one of Wales’s most celebrated painters.

Rhodri Llwyd Morgan, Chief Executive of the National Library of Wales said: “This exhibition offers a valuable opportunity for us to open up conversations on how we see ourselves, and how we are seen in art. This fresh look at portraiture is in itself a lens through which we can examine the power dynamics inherent in the act of collecting and exhibiting. I look forward to the events and engagement opportunities that will run alongside the exhibition, that will create connections with new audiences.”

The intention of the exhibition has been to inspire as well as to challenge. Visitors will also have the opportunity to create their own works in a dedicated studio space within the gallery.