Collection: Menna Angharad : Painter : Hay-on-Wye

Menna Angharad is a painter based in the Brecon Beacons, where she lives and works near the historic town of Hay-on-Wye. Born and raised in Snowdonia, North Wales, she initially studied botany at Bangor University before pursuing fine art at Byam Shaw School of Art and the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff. Her deep connection to nature and everyday life runs through her practice, which centres on still-life painting and the quiet beauty of ordinary objects.

Using oil on linen canvas and often working directly from life, Menna explores subjects such as wild plants, seed heads, fruits, draped fabrics, and familiar household items. Her expressive use of colour—ranging from muted earth tones to vibrant natural hues—and the tactile mark-making of the palette knife bring a vivid, shimmering quality to her work. These paintings transcend literal representation, offering a meditative, sometimes abstract exploration of form, emotion, and presence.

Her work is held in the Jerwood Foundation Painting Collection and the Portmeirion Village collection, and she exhibits widely across Wales, the UK, and France. In 2015, Menna was awarded the People’s Prize at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, recognizing her unique voice in contemporary Welsh painting.