Welsh from Everywhere

I've been working on the 'Welsh from Everywhere/Cymry o Bobman' photographic project for about 10 years, and the work investigates the rich cultural diversity of Newport through photographic portraits. Over a series of open sessions I've invited anyone who is interested to come and sit for a free portrait, and these have been held in a range of local venues including Community House in Maindee, Phyllis Maud Theatre in Pillgwenlly. Maindee Library, the Riverfront Arts Centre and others.

About 10 years ago I heard a recitation of a poem by local poet Susan Lewis entitled 'Maindee'. The last line struck a chord with work I was already doing, and gave me a new title for the project. The line was 'Here we are. All together. Welsh from Everywhere'. When I grew up in the small mining village of Deri in the Rhymney Valley, everyone was white and Welsh and except for the odd English person, the Italian families running the cafes in Bargoed (the Rossis and Riccis), or the Indian and Chinese families running the local takeaways it was a very 'traditional' Welsh community. When I moved to Newport at 9 years old I immediately noticed a real difference in the cultural makeup of the place - and later moved to the most cosmopolitan city in the world, London.

Making the Connection

Getting a successful portrait is so much more than positioning your sitter in from of the camera, saying 'smile please' and sending them on their way. To get the shots I want, I need to make some connection with each and every sitter. I need to get them to relax and the best way to do this is simply by chatting to them, sharing stories, asking questions and making a real connection. I've come to see this ability to connect with anyone, whatever their background, age, ethnicity, gender (etc) as my photography superpower, and it is the connection that I make with the sitters that gets me the photo that later allows the viewer to similarly connect.

We seem to have gone backwards in terms of acceptance of 'others' over the last ten years or so with social media and shyster politicians amplifying and spreading fear of the other for their own gains. This project is my attempt to rebalance this slide into fear of others, though I strive not to be overtly political. I try to show that people are people are people - each one an individual and all the same on a fundamental level despite cultural or religious differences.

I've met an photographed people who originally hail from over 30 different countries but have made Newport, and Wales their home.

Shot in 2019, these are some of the first photos from my Welsh From Everywhere / Cymry o Bob Man project. Shot in Community House in Newport's Maindee area, the project aims to investigate the rich cultural diversity of the region. The local school has over 30 nations represented, and as many first languages spoken at home in Maindee. I'm looking forward to adding to the project over time, when social distancing restrictions allow. 

Jessica Morden MP was kind enough to have her portrait taken and offer the following kind words for a video showcasing some of the portraits:

"Rhys's wonderful portraits draw attention to the strength of Newport as a city - by emphasising how welcoming our community is, and how much richer our culture is as a result. This is especially true of Maindee, where I live, and in Community House, Eton Road, where these portraits were taken. Here we welcome and celebrate the cultures of people from all backgrounds, making Wales a home for all"

There's a short video about this project available on YouTube.