Sir Bryn Terfel announced as Narrator of Profiad Kyffin Experience as tickets released

Nation Cymru staff

The National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth has announced that Profiad Kyffin Experience will be narrated by Sir Bryn Terfel, one of the world’s most celebrated opera singers.

This comes after free tickets were released on Monday (2 November) for this creative, hands-on, 30-minute immersive journey inside the world of renowned Welsh artist Sir Kyffin Williams.

Profiad Kyffin Experience is not a traditional exhibition – it fuses cutting-edge visual technology, which is more commonly associated with blockbuster immersive shows featuring Van Gogh and Cézanne experiences, with interactive storytelling and original works and items from Kyffin’s archive.

Applied for the first time to a much-loved Welsh artist, this is a brand-new, free immersive experience that digitally maps, reconstructs and projects Kyffin’s selected artworks around visitors in sound and light. The technology, developed by creative partners Focal Studios and Leo & Hyde, preserves each of Kyffin’s brushstroke’s texture and character, elevated by Sir Bryn Terfel’s narration.

Commenting on his involvement, Sir Bryn Terfel, a long-time collector of Kyffin Williams’ work, said: “I’m truly delighted to be the voice of Profiad Kyffin Experience. Kyffin was Wales’s foremost ambassador in the visual arts, and helping to introduce him to a whole new generation here at the National Library of Wales, the place he entrusted with so much of his life’s work, means a great deal to me.

“I bought my first Kyffin Williams in my early twenties, when I was a student in London trying to make a living from singing. I literally worked my socks off to save an amount that would hopefully allow me to at least bid. To my amazement the gavel came down and the painting was mine. A memory I will never ever forget. Seeing his work come to life will be quite something.”

Sir Kyffin Williams (1918–2006) is widely regarded as the defining Welsh artist of the 20th century. He was born in Llangefni, Anglesey, and trained at the Slade School of Art before returning to Wales, where he spent his career painting its landscape and people, often outdoors and with a palette knife. His subjects ranged from the mountains and sea of Anglesey to the sheepdogs of Welsh hill farms. He was knighted in 1999. On his death in 2006 he left his estate to the National Library of Wales, which now holds the largest collection of his work in the world.

Carys Ifan, Director of Experience at the National Library said, commented: “This is a groundbreaking first for Wales. The technology that has brought Van Gogh and Cézanne to life for audiences worldwide is now, for the first time, celebrating a Welsh master, in the very place Kyffin entrusted his life’s work.

“There is something especially fitting about Sir Bryn Terfel narrating this experience. Kyffin greatly admired his work, selecting one of Bryn’s recordings for Desert Island Discs. We hope that bringing together two Welsh artists who have inspired audiences around the world is a fitting way to honour Kyffin’s legacy and introduce his remarkable work to a new generation of visitors.

“With Sir Bryn as your guide, you’ll see Kyffin as never before. With just ten people per session, it’s set to be in high demand, so book your free tickets now and be among the first through the door. Dewch draw!”

Sir Kyffin’s rural scenes and animals make this brand new, fully bilingual experience a good fit for families and younger visitors as well as long-standing admirers of the artist’s work. It also makes a ready-made day out, alongside Aberystwyth’s seafront, castle and wider cultural offer, including the town’s recent designation as Wales’s first UNESCO City of Literature.

The experience is made possible thanks to principal funding from Colwinston Charitable Trust, whose founder and chair Mathew Prichard said: “The Colwinston Trust is delighted to celebrate 30 years of working with many high quality arts organisations across the UK by awarding a special Anniversary Grant to support this immersive Kyffin experience at the National Library of Wales.

“We are thrilled to support this landmark immersive experience here in Wales, in the institution Kyffin trusted with his life’s work. Twenty years on, it feels the right moment to help a new generation discover and enjoy the work of this magnificent Welsh artist.”

The experience is also supported by the Welsh Government and the Friends of the National Library of Wales.

Profiad Kyffin Experience opens to the public from Wednesday 18 November 2026.

For full details, visit: library.wales