Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales has announced the first major retrospective in over forty years dedicated to one of Wales’ most accomplished artists, Gwen John.
Gwen John: Strange Beauties will open on 7th February 2026 and will place the artist centre stage in the year that will mark 150 years since her birth. The exhibition has been organised by Amgueddfa Cymru in partnership with National Galleries of Scotland, the Yale Center for British Art, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington D.C.
The exhibition will open in National Museum Cardiff, with generous support from principal funder, the Colwinston Charitable Trust, before going on an international tour to the partner galleries during 2026 and 2027.
Born in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire in 1876, Gwen John studied at the Slade School of Art in London, becoming one of the first generation of women to receive a formal art education, before moving to Paris where she settled. The exhibition will showcase work from her early years in Wales through to her late works inspired by her religious beliefs, French modernism, and her surroundings in the Parisian suburb of Meudon.
Gwen John: Strange Beauties will offer a fresh new perspective on Gwen John’s work and artistic legacy. Rarely seen drawings and watercolours will be on display, many for the first time, giving an insight into her quiet yet determined artistic vision.
Amgueddfa Cymru’s Director of Collections and Research, Dr Kath Davies said…..
‘As an independent woman living and working as an artist in the early 20th century, Gwen John was a trailblazer. Many of her drawings and studio works have never been exhibited before and this major new exhibition will be an opportunity to explore John’s technical approach, processes, and the themes which influenced and inspired her. It will also offer the opportunity to rightly celebrate her for being the pioneering artist she was.
‘Amgueddfa Cymru holds the largest public collection of Gwen John’s work, so we are delighted to be opening this exhibition at National Museum Cardiff, as well as working with National Galleries of Scotland, the Yale Center for British Art and the National Museum of Women in the Arts to bring work from this much-loved Welsh artist to an international audience.’
Tickets for Gwen John: Strange Beauties will be available to book later in the year. More information is available from HERE
