Puppets and Curious Narratives
Exhibition Dates: 19 April – 31 May 2025
Opening: Saturday 19 April 2025 1:30pm – 3:30pm
This unique exhibition of ‘Puppets and Curious Narratives’ can be seen at Art Central Gallery, Barry. It is a fascinating and colourful exhibition bringing together three Wales based artists one of which lives and works in the Vale of Glamorgan.
The artists, Peter Raymond, Barbara Leith, and Frankie Locke; are delighted to present this unique body of work, that has evolved from their theatre and scenic art backgrounds. The artists originally met in the scenery, props and construction workshops of the Welsh National Opera Company, Cardiff.
The exquisite puppets, handcrafted by Raymond, are beautifully created characters from myths, legends, historic stories, and contemporary narratives. They are a sight to behold, drawing the viewer in with their unique designs, colours, curiosity, and stories to be told. The puppet costumes, for each individual character’s, have been carefully handmade by Leith and hand painted by their maker Raymond.
Leith, an artist, is both a painter and a maker. For the exhibition Leith has created beautiful portraits using mixed media to present charming figures in cabinets. The figures are adorned with delicately tailored clothing, showing her elegant and refined skills in several creative media.
Showing alongside, are magnificent paintings by artist and ceramicist Frankie Locke. The unusual imagery, colour and narratives depicted by Locke, beautifully compliment the works of Leith and Raymond. Locke, animates the puppets in her paintings, re-creating visual dialogues and alternative scenes. Despite the differing ideas and styles, they create a synchronicity, between each piece, allowing the works to breathe and speak to each other.
We look forward to welcoming you to this exciting and unusual exhibition.