Aberystwyth Celebrated with a Visual Mosaic of Photography

26.03.2025

On 4 April the Byd Bach Aber photography Exhibition, which celebrates the characters and community of Aberystwyth will open at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth Arts Centre and Ceredigion Museum. 

This exhibition will feature 40 portrait photographs by the photographer Bruce Cardwell, to create a visual mosaic of photographs across the town which capture and celebrate the characters that make the small town of Aberystwyth unique.

As a self-confessed ‘people-watcher’, Bruce’s aim is more than just recording people - it is also to celebrate the vibrant individuality of those who make up the community.

Aberystwyth will come alive with the different collections of the Byd Bach Aber photographs, which will be on display at the three venues, and also at Bronglais Hospital, and many shops and businesses throughout the town over the Summer. 

Photographer Bruce Cardwell said:

“I'm delighted to have this opportunity with the Byd Bach Aber Exhibition to celebrate Aberystwyth, which has been so good to me. To get this recognition from some of the town's leading institutions really is an honour.”

Rhodri Llwyd Morgan, Chief Executive of the National Library of Wales said:

“It’s a very striking exhibition about Aberystwyth and its people and it’s been a pleasure working with Bruce Cardwell and the partners around the town. This is the latest in a series of exhibitions and activities that cast a light on those aspects that make Aber unique as a community and which will give local people and visitors good reason to pay a visit to the National Library.”

Ffion Rhys Visual Arts Manager at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre said:

“It is our absolute pleasure to work with Bruce Cardwell again, on his Byd Bach Aber Exhibition which will be exhibited across Aberystwyth.

Bruce has a special gift of being able to capture a person's character in a photograph, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how the collection of photos creates a unique portrait of this small town.”

Carrie Canham, Curator of Amgueddfa Ceredigion Museum said:

"We'll be adding the Byd Bach Aber images to our permanent displays, it's a wonderful opportunity to link the past with the present and help local people make links to their heritage"

There will also be a series of events and activities to bring the exhibition alive to the community.

--ENDS--

** Mae'r datganiad yma hefyd ar gael yn y Gymraeg**

The National Library of Wales Media Contact
Rhodri ap Dyfrig, Head of Marketing and Audiences  
rhodri.apdyfrig@llyfrgell.cymru  / 07521761762

NOTES FOR EDITORS

About the National Library of Wales

The National Library of Wales is a library for Wales and the world. Located in Aberystwyth, it is the home of the story of Wales.

Opened in 1907, the Library is the centre of research into the culture and heritage of Wales and the Celtic nations.

The purpose of the Library is to make our culture and heritage accessible for everyone to learn, research and enjoy.

We are a legal deposit library, which means we are entitled to a copy of every print publication in Britain and Ireland, but our collections also include the following:

• 7,000,000 feet of film
• 250,000 hours of video
• 6,000,000 books and newspapers
• 40,000 manuscripts
• 1,500,000 maps
• 150,000 hours of sound
• 950,000 photographs
• 60,000 works of art
• 1,900 cubic meters of archives

You can search the collections online. You will find further information along with a list of resources on our website.

About the Photographer:

Bruce Cardwell is a photographer and folk musician from Northern Ireland who now lives in West Wales.

He has published several books, which include Hoofpicks: Photographs of the Horse in Wales (2009), Noteworthy: Images of Welsh Music (2011), The Harp in Wales (2013) and A Hardy Breed: Sheep Farming in Wales (2023).

A self-confessed people watcher, Bruce aims to record the communities and livelihoods of Wales and his photographs are part of the National Collections at the National Library of Wales.