Oneirophrenia: Acclaimed musician holds first art exhibition in former hometown

Stephen Price

Acclaimed musician, Wayne Thomas, is set to hold his first solo exhibition of works on canvas in his old home town of Swansea this month.

Wayne Thomas’ first show in Wales, titled Oneirophrenia, follows successful shows in Berlin, and is to be held at The Seaside Gallery, Volcano Theatre.

Oneir ́o~phrenia comes from the Greek words “övetoos” (oneiros, “dream“) and “pony” (phren, “mind“) meaning a dreamlike, hallucinatory state somewhat resembling schizophrenia in certain symptoms, such as disturbances of emotion and associations, oneirophrenia being distinguished by disturbances of the senses and clouding of consciousness.

It is associated with prolonged sleep deprivation, sensory deprivation, or drug use, first described in the 1950s by Hungarian–born U.S. psychiatrist Ladislas von Meduna (1896–1964).

Growing acclaim

Wayne Thomas lives and works in London. Born in Swansea, Wayne’s early years were absorbed by football, playing for the junior teams of Cardiff City and Wales.

He then found success through music with his band, Trampolene, chalking up two Top 20 (and Indie number one) albums as he relentlessly toured the UK and Europe.

All the while, he developed his visual art, embracing creative expression as an alternative avenue for self–discovery and fulfilment, which has recently taken him to Berlin for a series of exhibitions.

This year sees Wayne working on a full collection and hosting his first solo show in Swansea.

Discussing his paintings, he said: “Throughout my life I’ve been curious about dream states. The unknown, unexplained stories, feelings, thoughts and imagery all humans experience.

“Finding comfort in expression without need of explanation, I hope to conjure up more questions than answers. I see my work as open ended, learning in the process and passing curiosity on to the viewer.

“This collection is an exploration of what might happen in the future as technology and A.I. collide with human existence. Who will be the gods we model ourselves on?”

Homecoming

Wayne is thrilled to be showing his latest works in his hometown, and stressed its importance while chatting to Nation.Cymru.

He said: “The opportunity arose for me to host a solo show, which is great for me as an emerging artist, and for that opportunity to be in Swansea was perfect. It’s going to be nice to come home.”

He told us: “Trampolene were asked to perform at the Napoleon Komplex in Berlin as part of an art installation piece in collaboration with another visual artist for the exhibition.

“We had recently released a song called ‘Uncle Brian’s Abattoir’ with Peter Doherty and I had painted the cover art for the single so knowing that I was a painter they asked me if I’d also like to show some works.

“As Jack (Trampolene) was making a solo album and touring last year, it gave me the opening to spend more time painting, experimenting and focusing solely on building a collection. Time I previously didn’t have when on the road touring.

Discussing the influences behind his work, he said: “For this collection at least, I’ve leaned in on a strong personal interest in the psychology of dreams & altered states.

“I’ve also been exploring curiosities of how the integration of A.I in human society may develop and how that coexistence may look down the line.

Discussing his music making and its interplay with other art forms, he said: “Other forms of art have always been present with Trampolene, with Jack’s poetry and my painting – it’s a natural creative extension from the music for us and with my art I’m able to be more personal.

“It’s hard when making records and touring constantly to have a free run of concentration for painting and, as mentioned earlier I had that luxury last year. Having said all that, as a band we are still in close contact with each other, bouncing ideas together for our next record.

And what’s next for the maverick artist? He shared: “I’m going to immerse myself in the rich colours of Kerala, India for a few weeks, absorb new ideas to start work on a new collection.

“And the plan for my art is to do a few group shows in London and a show or two in Europe. Then when the new Trampolene record is ready, get back on the road and make some racket.”

Oneirophrenia, Wayne Thomas’ solo exhibition of works on canvas will be available to view from 1 – 28 February 2025 at The Seaside Gallery, Volcano Theatre, 27-29 High St, Swansea SA1 1LG

The Preview show takes place on Saturday 1 February from 6pm.