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“Deep Inside” by Louisa Theunissen, which receives the First Prize, captivated the judges with its power and poetry. It is a drawing which creates an intense, sombre glow, a drawing that at once defines the dread of death’s doom and articulates some other awe.

"I feel most privileged and grateful to have been chosen as the winner of the Kyffin Williams Drawing prize. It also gives me great pleasure to
have the opportunity to exhibit alongside some of the excellent drawing artists of Wales through this prestigious exhibition.

  I had the honour of meeting the late Sir Kyffin Williams when he
opened the  Community Arts exhibition at Y Capel in Llangollen. He gave a speech at that event in which he lamented the lack of the teaching of drawing in modern art schools. I was greatly motivated by his speech to follow my love of drawing.

I was born in North Wales and also studied Fine Art at the  North Wales School of Art and Design from 2001 to 2004 where I gained an honours degree.  I now work almost exclusively from places in Wales. Travelling to find and explore derelict houses, factories, shops and warehouses. I endeavour to capture that indefinable atmosphere that can be felt in such a place and express, through drawing emotions that words fail to describe."

The Second Prize is awarded to Dafydd Hedd ap Hywel for his “Self Portrait.” Taking classic models as his starting point, he is bold and expressive in his draughtsmanship. With a freedom of hand that is also disciplined he creates and loses form, and invents additional textures which have an intuitive freshness.

"As a child drawing and painting was everything to me. As I became a man, and with it certain responsibilities, it came to be more a kind of affliction kept alive only through stolen sketches of domestic life.

Therefore to win an award of this nature for this self-portrait goes a long way to redressing the balance of what art can be in my life. My sincere thanks to those who strive to promote the importance of drawing in today's world."

Photo shows Assembly Heritage Minister, Alun Ffred Jones AM,
chatting to Louisa Theunissen about her winning drawing
"Deep Inside".