A CROSS-CULTURAL project involving artists in Pembrokeshire and Japan has given a Far Eastern flavour to the latest exhibition at Tregwynt Mansion.

Glenn Ibbitson and Gaynor and Ian McMorrin were inspired by a trip to Kyoto in December, which was funded by Wales Arts International, an organisation with a remit to facilitate creative collaborations across national boundaries.

A skilled ceramicist and sculptor, Gaynor will be showing a series of bullet train commuters; each absorbed in their own iPad worlds, while Ian, a former Antarctic surveyor, will be showing a selection from his photo-reportage.

Glenn will be presenting the plight of the homeless through a series of drawings of temporary settlements in public spaces.

He said: "Homelessness is now a serious social problem in Japan. National codes of honour and welfare criteria are inextricably linked, with families able to claim state assistance only when the former breadwinner has absented himself from the household.

"The homeless are offered licensed accommodation in prefabricated ply dwellings each ‘weatherproofed’ by a covering of blue plastic tarpaulin. These are situated on the periphery of areas of public recreation. This has created a striking cultural and visual discord; scenes of contemplation and beauty now play before a backdrop of highly visible social deprivation.

"What made the experience so much more poignant for me as an enthusiastic birder was that their plight was being played out metres from some of the most exotic birdlife anyone could wish to see; yet of course these disenfranchised residents are probably oblivious to such poetic visions.

This collision of aesthetic extremes provided me with an initial access point into this project."

On his return he drew up some kimono designs based on the drawings made in various parks and shrines.

"By combining my western art technique with elements extracted from the Japanese graphic tradition, I developed compositions in which the contemporary realities of homelessness might intrude by stealth upon a highly refined and timeless visual sensibility.”

The drawings have culminated in the production of a hand painted ‘kimono for the homeless.’

Glenn has been corresponding with a Japanese calligrapher, Hiroshi Ueta, to co-author a graphic novel.

“Hiroshi and I bonded well during the time spent discussing art in Kyoto. We shared an enthusiasm for the medium of sequential art. As Japan is the major producer and consumer of comic strips or ‘manga’, it seemed natural that we should develop our ideas through this popular medium.

"On my return to Wales, I outlined a story exploring the homeless issue and laid out several pages of the narrative developed from the sketches I’d completed in Japan. These I emailed to Hiroshi, who summarised the action with one or two characters expressing the mood and atmosphere of each scene with typical Japanese elegance and economy. I added some explanatory lines in English.

"This project in progress will result in a limited edition graphic novel of about 20 pages. Both English/Japanese and Welsh/Japanese versions will be available later in the year."

The exhibition runs at Tregwynt Mansion, St Nicholas, from August 18 to 24.