Hello again

There's still lots happening in photography around Wales!
This Newsletter shares info on recent and upcoming events, along with news of one gallery closure, and another opening.

More photographers have joined the list of those showing photozines and prints next Saturday 20 September in Penarth - read more below.

Don't forget the consecutive weekends of events throughout October - kicking off with THE NORTHERN EYE FESTIVAL in Colwyn Bay 4-5 October. And yours-truly will be talking with Mohamed Hassan about his first photobook 'Our Hidden Room' during Ffotogallery's PHOTO BOOK FAIR on Saturday 25 October, where copies of the book will be available to purchase.

You can browse the various exhibitions and events on our listings page.

I hope you can make it along this Saturday to The Turner House gallery in Penarth for an interesting day of creative photozines, prints and social discussion!

Brian

CHAOTIC #1

I'm pleased to offer a sneak peek of CHAOTIC #1, the inaugural issue of what aims to be an annual project publication to appear each Autumn, sharing seven photographic projects in their early stages.

A4 in size, the 48-page image folio with a further 28-pages of accompanying text inserts hand-sewn in, CHAOTIC #1 presents a diverse range of photography by the first cohort of enthusiastic collaborators:
Marc Arkless, Nate Davies, Mohamed Hassan, David Mayne, Bartosz Nowicki, Owen Pritchard, and Tamsin Stirling.

CHAOTIC in printed form invites discussion and critique from audiences through a series of moderated online sessions with the photographers. These will seek to encourage more participation, constructive debate, and discussion amongst photographers and audiences using 'live' work in early stage projects as a stimulus. CHAOTIC will attempt to revive the valuable, at times robust, 'group critique' experience familiar to those who studied photography or Art. Information on these online discussion sessions will appear here on the Offline website in mid-October, as will information on how photographers can express an interest in joining the next CHAOTIC cohort for publication in October 2026.

Offline Journal's Subscriber Plus supporters will receive a copy of CHAOTIC #1 in the post early next week as part of their subscription bundle, and I'll have a small number of copies available for sale at this weekend's Photozine & Print Day (more info below). Any remaining copies will be available to purchase from our online store Saturday evening.

FFOTOGRAFFWYR CYMRU @ CLWB FFOTO

Newport gallery Clwb Ffoto launched their first printed publication 'Ffotograffwyr Cymru' on the evening of 6 September, along with a selection of work from the book on the walls of their gallery in Newport Arcade.

The book is the result of an Open Call on Instagram, whittling down tagged image submissions to seven photographers: Finley Chivers, Jessica Cooper, Matthew Harry, Karl Jones, Lloyd Morgan, Emyr Payne, and Sara Scorey. Also included is a foreword by Roger Tiley, the first photographer to exhibit work in Clwb Ffoto's gallery space in March this year. The initial print run of the book sold out on the night (but more are coming, read on...)

With work included in the book, North Wales-based Emyr Payne made the journey down to Newport for the evening and had a chance to meet numerous photographers he'd previously only conversed with via Instagram.

Clwb Ffoto's Marc Lewis announced more copies of the first volume of 'Ffotograffwyr Cymru' are being printed and will be available at the Photozine & Print Day in Penarth on 20 September.

FFOTOGRAFFWYR CYMRU
Book & gallery exhibition
6 September - 10 October 2025
Clwb Ffoto, Newport Arcade, Newport NP20 1GD
www.clwbffoto.com

BRECON-BASED FOUND GALLERY TO CLOSE

FOUND GALLERY based in the centre of Brecon have recently shared the sad news of their decision to close next month.

Although mainly hosting art and ceramic exhibitions, the gallery, which opened in July 2019, did an admirable job in having photography feature in its exhibition programme over the years – both as solo and group shows, documentary and art.

The news was announced in a recent email Newsletter...

"We are very sad to announce that after much soul searching and the reality of number crunching we have decided that Found Gallery will cease trading from the middle of October.

This is not a decision we have come to lightly as Found has been such a wonderful project supporting so many wonderful creatives. However despite our best endeavours it is not one that we can continue to sustain, alongside many other events which have come to the fore in our lives.

As a result of this decision we are planning to rent out the gallery space (both the ground floor and lower ground floor spaces) and are therefore starting the search for possible tenants. The space will be available from the end of October this year.

Punch will continue to be involved in projects in Brecon and looks forward to contributing further to the community".

– FOUND GALLERY

It's sad to see the closure of any art gallery but especially a space supportive of photography in it's exhibition programme. Just as with art, ceramic and sculpture exhibits, FOUND owner and curator Punch Maughan had been very proactive in making photographic prints shown in the gallery available for sale – something I think is in decline in some spaces, but we should see more of in Wales to support both photographer and gallery.

Buy more prints folks!!

NEW GALLERY TO OPEN IN BRECON

Just as FOUND Gallery announces it's closure, a new gallery appears to be gearing up for opening mid-November 2025 with an exhibition Open Call recently announced.

Annwfn Gallery, describing itself as "A new contemporary art gallery opening in Brecon.." appears to be on Instagram only at present, with posts showing redecoration underway in empty room spaces.

With several photographs showing amongst other successful art submissions in the current TURNER HOUSE Gallery 2025 Open Exhibition, let's hope photography makes regular appearances on the walls of Annwfn Gallery in Brecon.

ANNWFN OPEN CALL 2025
Submissions (any medium) via Instagram (see link below)
Deadline: 12 November 2025
Annwfn Gallery, somewhere in Brecon?
@annwfn_gallery

PHOTOZINE & PRINT DAY

The Photozine & Print Day in Penarth's Turner House Gallery is fast approaching!

The gallery and Offline Journal will be hosting a PHOTOZINE & PRINT Day on Saturday 20 September from 11am - 3.30pm to coincide with the new 2025 Open exhibition on both lower and upper gallery walls.

Marc Arkless • Julie Cook • Clwb Ffoto • Phil Cope • Yasmin Crawford • John Crerar • Pete Davis • Glenn Edwards • David Mayne • Ron McCormick • David Morgan-Davies • Walter Waygood • Julian McKenny • Tamsin Stirling • Robert Greetham • Mohamed Hassan

Here's a few short statements from some of those participating on what they'll be offering on the day...

Last remaining copies of Robert Greetham's 'RITES & TRACES' book will available on the Offline Journal table.

The event is FREE to attend and visitors are welcome to bring their own photozines (in final or dummy form) to show and discuss with other attendees and table holders (constructive feedback is always a great motivator!). And we're always looking for new additions to the ever-growing 'BOX OF ZINES' which will also be on show on the day – a growing collection of sixty-plus self-published photozines of various types, made in or have work relating to, Wales. Photographers donate their photozines to the collection, which are catalogued and then taken around various photography events and festival in Wales to promote photographers' images and resulting photozines.

And in addition to any remaining stock of Offline Journal's back-issues and catalog publications (at tidy reduced pricing on the day), the PHOTOZINE & PRINT Day will also host the big reveal of the printed outcome of Offline Journal's CHAOTIC collaboration with seven photographers (see above).

The event will be an excellent opportunity to meet and talk with other active members of the photography community in South Wales (and a couple of invaders making the trek from Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion!).

And of course, representing Offline Journal on the day, I'm always interested in hearing of, and seeing, new work and photography projects being created in and of Wales, so please do grab me for a chat!

Join us for the day – or even just an hour – of stimulating photozines, photography prints and relaxed discussion in the wonderful setting of The Turner House gallery in Penarth – and view their new 2025 OPEN Exhibition on the walls whilst you're there!

SIGNATURES PHOTOZINE & PRINT DAY
Photography zine & print event
11am - 3.30pm, Saturday 20 September 2025
The Turner House, Penarth, Cardiff CF64 3DH
www.turnerhouse.wales