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Mining. White Rose. Community. These are some of the things that may come to mind when you think of New Tredegar. 

Few people, if any, would mention Chinese art. 

And yet, anyone who walks into the town’s Winding House Museum until December 16 will find just that. 

‘A Celebration of Chinese Brush Painting’ by the Chinese Brush painting group Art Bambw Gwyrdd is showing in the museum’s East Gallery.

The exhibition includes work from five artists including Karen Jones, from Energlyn, Caerphilly who told Caerphilly Observer more about what it means to her. 

“I really love doing it,” said Karen, “I think it’s a form of meditation for me.”

She continued: “Once you put the brush to the paper you’re lost for a few hours.”

Karen started the group along with fellow painter Sue Tennet after the pair met in classes in Abergavenny.

Karen took up the art form as a hobby 20 years ago.

“I was attracted to it firstly by Chinese culture and meanings,” said Karen, “With Chinese culture each thing you paint…this has a significance and a meaning.”

According to Karen, this means painting bamboo, or a flower, for example, will all have meaning as Chinese brush painting aims to symbolically capture the essence of subjects.

There also needs to be space in the painting for the “Qi”- or energy – to move around. 

She continued: “It’s quite different to any other sort of painting.”

According to the Chinese Brush Painters Society, the art form dates back thousands of years and is “one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world”.

While Sue and Karen have been practising for two decades, others in the group – who are also exhibiting in the museum – are newer to the craft having joined in the last two or three years. 

Newcomers are welcome to join, whether that’s to paint or simply learn more about Chinese Brush Painting, as there are demonstrations. 

Karen, who paints in the Sumi-e style, also has an exhibition running in the Caerphilly Library coffee shop, with proceeds going to Velindre. 

‘A Celebration of Chinese Brush Painting’ runs until December 16.

Art Bambw Gwyrdd meets at Pontypool Museum on the first Thursday of every month from 10am to 12.30pm. It is £5 to attend and the next meeting is on December 7.