Shani Rhys James I The Afternoon House

Connaught Brown is delighted to present The Afternoon House, an exhibition of new paintings by Shani Rhys James, widely considered the greatest living Welsh painter.

For over forty years Rhys James has been an unwavering voice for a generation of female painters and central to the development and promotion of Welsh contemporary art. Taking almost exclusively the female figure – frequently herself – as her subject, Rhys James has continued to explore the role of women within domestic spaces. Wallpaper, upholstery and cut flowers recur throughout her work, entwining with the figure until portrait and interior become inseparable.

The Afternoon House takes its name from a 1963 Australian film by the feminist writer Beatrice Faust:. As a child Shani Rhys James featured in the film, and the part had a lasting impact on her work.

“It is a charming little film, with an unsettling ending, leaving the girl forever trapped in the enchantments and fears of childhood.” Judith Brett, Fearless Beatrice Faust: Sex, Feminism & Body Politics, 2025

The Afternoon House is Rhys James’ eighth solo exhibition at Connaught Brown. Rhys James has been awarded numerous prizes including the Jerwood Painting Prize in 2003, the National Portrait Award, and the Gold Medal at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, and holds an MBE for services to Welsh art. In 2020, Charleston Trust held a retrospective of her work, and she has been the focus of many documentaries, including the 2014 BBC series What Do Artists Do All Day. Her work is held in major public collections including the National Museum of Wales, the Arts Council of England, and Columbia University, New York.