Gwynedd artist wins prestigious National Eisteddfod scholarship

Nation.Cymru Staff

A multi-disciplinary artist from Gwynedd will receive a prestigious art scholarship at the National Eisteddfod this year.

The New Artist Scholarship will be awarded to Cushla Rose Luxton, from Deiniolen near Caernarfon, on the opening day of the festival at Y Lle Gelf, the Eisteddod’s art exhibition.

Cushla, who works across sculpture, film and photography, hopes to use the £1,500 prize to attend a course at a recognised art school or college, or to take part in masterclasses to further develop her career.

The 21-year-old is currently a student at Goldsmith’s, University of London, and submitted a series of short films for consideration by the selectors.

“I draw a lot of inspiration from Elidir Fawr, the mountain that backs my home, and the old slate quarries that reveal the mysticism of everyday life while also exploring my own personal history.

“They were filmed on Double Super 8 film which is quite unusual these days and it is quite difficult to find somewhere to develop them so I have learned to develop them myself. I have set up a dark room and made a telecine myself. I would like to establish a small community of film makers in Gwynedd in the future,” said Cushla.

She added that her work is deeply connected to her family and her home has deepened during her degree course in Fine Art in London.

“When I was at Ysgol Dyffryn Ogwen in Bethesda I wanted to study mathematics but I took a step back and took an art foundation course at Coleg Menai and realised I enjoyed sculpture and that led to the course in London,” said Cushla.

Cushla is a regular visitor to Lle Celf at the National Eisteddfod and two years ago led guided tours of the exhibition at the Rhondda Cynon Taf Festival in Pontypridd.

“But this is the first time I have competed and I am very pleased that my efforts have been recognised,” he said.

The New Artist scholarship is open to those who have been studying or working as an Artist for less than five years.

The scholarship is worth £1,500 and was presented to the Eisteddfod this year by the Society of Old Agricultural and Maritime Engineers Cardigan and District.

The selection panel – Christine Kinsey and Llio James – said they were impressed by the work submitted for the scholarship.

Christine Kinsey said: “The work being presented at Y Lle Celf showcases a wide variety of media and techniques which are essential to an exploration of the voices and visual language of Wales.

“Experiencing the arts in relation to appropriation of place and culture reflects contemporary contemporary life and addresses the concerns relating to politics, conflict, identity and the environment as well as how artists look at the world today and think about it.

“The artists in this exhibition have individual voices, yet together, they show us how important it is that we can see a representation of a bigger picture with specific ideas and feelings in relation to Welsh culture.”

Llio James added: “It was encouraging to see so many works displaying not only technical skill and exceptional craftsmanship but also originality, imagination and a deep understanding of the properties of materials. I feel that the final selection is a vibrant collection, full of colour and energy that reflects stories and themes from our communities today.”

The New Artist Scholarship will be presented to Cushla Rose Luxton in a ceremony at the Eisteddfod Pavilion in LLantwd near Cardigan at 17.20, Saturday, August 1 followed by a celebration at Y Lle Celf at 18:30.

For more information about the 2026 National Eisteddfod, which will be held on farmland in Llantwd near Cardigan from 1-8 August, visit the festival’s site here.

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