Claudia Williams (artist) facts for kids

Claudia Jane Herington Williams (born in 1933, died on June 19, 2024) was a talented British artist. She was famous for her big, colorful paintings, especially portraits of people. Even though she was born in England, Claudia spent most of her life painting in Wales.

Early Life and Art School

Claudia Williams was born in Purley, Surrey, England. She went to the Eothen School in Caterham. In 1950, she started studying art at the Chelsea School of Art. That same year, she won an art prize for young people. This prize was given at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, which was held in Caerphilly.

Claudia finished her art studies in 1953. For the next ten years, she taught art part-time. She taught in schools and for the Worker's Educational Association. She also often showed her artwork in group exhibitions. These shows were organized by the Arts Council of Wales. Her paintings were also seen at the yearly Eisteddfod art shows. In 1957, her work was part of a special exhibition. It was called Contemporary Welsh Painting and Sculpture. This show took place at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff.

Life and Art Abroad

Claudia Williams married another artist named Gwilym Prichard. They often had art shows together. One notable show was at the Bangor Arts Festival. In the early 1980s, Claudia and Gwilym started traveling around Europe. They lived for some time on Skiathos, an island in Greece. They also spent fifteen years living near Rochefort-en-Terre in Brittany, France. In 1999, they moved back to Wales.

While living in Europe, Claudia showed her art in many group exhibitions. She won first prize at the Salon de Vannes in 1989. She also exhibited at the Salon des Beaux Arts in Paris in 1993. Her work was shown at the Salon de Nantes Biennale in both 1987 and 1989. Claudia also had her own art shows. These solo exhibitions were held at the Galerie Romanet in Paris in 1989. Another was at the Philip Mouwes Gallery in Amsterdam in 1994.

Awards and Exhibitions

Claudia Williams received many honors for her art. In 1979, she became a member of the Royal Cambrian Academy. This is a group of important artists in Wales. In 2002, she was made an Honorary Fellow of Bangor University. The Academy of Arts, Sciences and Letters in Paris gave her their Silver Medal in 1995.

Her artwork has been shown in major exhibitions. The National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth held a big show of her work in 2000. This was a "retrospective," meaning it looked back at her art over many years. They also had another exhibition of her newer works in 2010. The Martin Tinney Gallery in Cardiff showed her new paintings in 2016.

In 2014, the National Library of Wales published a book. It featured about twenty of Claudia's paintings, mostly done with pastels. These artworks were inspired by the villages that were moved to create the Llyn Celyn reservoir. Claudia Williams' paintings are part of important art collections. You can find her work at Bangor University and Aberystwyth University. Her art is also in the Southampton Art Gallery and Newport Museum and Art Gallery.