Haverfordwest’s VC Gallery artists will be exhibiting at a first-of-its kind exhibition this month at the Turner House Gallery in Penarth to coincide with Armistice and Remembrance Day.

The exhibition, entitled Veterans, Family, Wales, was organised by two charities that work specifically with veterans, namely the VC Gallery with bases in Pembroke Dock and Haverfordwest, and Woody’s Lodge, which is headquartered in Barry.

It also features historical trench art from WWI plus two lectures on art and war.

“I’m delighted to be able to facilitate this exhibition in collaboration with Woody’s Lodge as it gives people the opportunity to be creative around their trauma and share the message with the rest of Wales,” commented Barry John, who is the founder of the VC Gallery.

“Some of the artworks really touch base with some historical war artists such as Graham Sutherland, so there's a real feeling of Welsh heritage running through the show, and it gives a lot of non-military people the chance to see into another world.”

Both charities help veterans tackle issues such as social exclusion and PTSD, which are disproportionately high among ex-forces personnel, and one important source of therapy and connection is art.

The show features work by nearly 100 forces and blue light veterans, much of it made after the charities arranged trips to the Imperial War Museum, the Houses of Parliament in London and the Royal Welsh Regimental Museum in Brecon.

The artwork covers everything from historical conflicts to more recent experiences in war zones. From the Eastern and Western Front of the First World War come repurposed shell and bullet casings decorated in the trenches. From modern-day veterans come paintings reflecting experiences in places such as Northern Ireland, Kosovo, the Balkans, and the Falklands.

Besides the main exhibition, Turner House Gallery will be hosting two lectures to coincide with the show: Artists at Arms, A History of Art & Conflict on Monday November 6 from 18:00 – 20:00; and Culture in Catastrophe, Artists & The First World War on Monday November 13 from 18:00 – 20:00.

The exhibition runs at Turner House Gallery, Penarth, until November 19. For more information and to book tickets to the lectures, visit: https://turnerhouse.wales/vfw/