More than 150 works by artist Mary Lloyd Jones have been donated National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth.
Central in illustrating the decades-long battles for recognition of female artists, the works have been added to the National Art Collection, together with some archival items.
Within the donation are examples of very early examples of work by the artist, including those created when she was a child in Pontarfynach in the 1930s and 1940s and landscapes of Ceredigion in the 1960s, after she had graduated from Cardiff College of Art.
In addition, there are her first experimental abstract works, including her geometric studies.
The artist's textile work is also of great interest, where she experimented with batik and macramé techniques and created calico quilts. This is a medium that has been central to her work throughout her life, inspired by the traditional weaving of her ancestors in the woollen mills of Cardiganshire.
However, Mary Lloyd Jones, 91, is mainly known for her dynamic, colourful, expressive and abstract landscapes based on the landscape and culture of Wales. As is to be expected, therefore, the collection includes works dating from the 1990s, which are inspired by the landscape and culture of Ceredigion, Wales and the Celtic countries, as well as her many travels, including to India in 1995.
Nia Mai Daniel, the library’s head of unique collections, said:
“The national library has been fortunate to have worked closely with Mary Lloyd Jones throughout the years.
“We are extremely grateful to her and her family for their continued support and this recent donation. We will treasure her works so that generations to come can enjoy and research them.”
Mary explained:
“In January 2025, we had a family discussion about the future of my art work and the comprehensive archive I have of my career as a Welsh artist. The place that came to mind immediately was the national library in Aberystwyth as the place has had a personal and deep impact on my early education and exposure to the world of art. It seemed fitting to approach them for advice and support.
“I am delighted and honoured that the institution has accepted the gifts of my early work and archive. I am very happy to know that this resource will be accessible for others and that it will be housed in this important Welsh cultural institution for the future.”
Gudrun Jones, the artist’s daughter, added:
“I realised over the last few years that there is still a great deal of interest in Mary’s work and that we were in danger of losing examples of early work in particular, by selling to private collectors.
“I felt strongly that, as a family, we find a way to preserve a comprehensive selection that would provide a useful archive of 80 years of Mary’s contribution to Welsh artistic practice.
“I am very thankful to Morfudd Bevan at the national library for her enthusiasm and support. I am relieved that now the work we have gifted will, in time, be an accessible resource for the future and has a home in the place Mary has chosen.”
“Mary can now focus on continuing her creative practice as an artist, exhibit and sell her work and, perhaps more importantly, continue to collaborate with other artists, which has been so central to her life and identity as a female Welsh artist.”
Osian, the artist’s grandson, said:
“It's been amazing to watch Mary over the years and I have vivid memories of playing in her art studios as a child. I'm very proud to have Mary as a grandmother and think it's important to preserve her work.”
