Striking artwork reimagines Welsh tourism poster amid summer of wildfires

Nation.Cymru Staff

A political artist has depicted a Welsh landscape engulfed in flames in a striking new take on a traditional tourism poster.

Wefail, who grew up in Wales, has gained attention online for their often dark and surreal depictions of politicians, current events and social issues.

With pieces described as “grotesque”, “disgusting” and “revealing”, Wefail began creating political art when Donald Trump was elected in 2017, in the artist’s own words “out of protest”.

They have since gone on to gain more than 70,000 followers on Instagram, and have generated both significant praise and backlash.

Their most recent piece takes a different approach, at first appearing aesthetically pleasing and drawing inspiration from traditional tourism posters.

However, the poster advertising Wales as a holiday destination in fact speaks more to residents than to potential visitors, as the accompanying illustration depicts a landscape consumed by wildfire.

It is accompanied by the words: ‘Wales is in a climate crisis due to our reliance on fossil fuels and putting profit over planet. Climate change does not care if you are a believer or not, it is still coming.’

Several wildfires have broken out across Wales this summer, including in Cymmer and on Maerdy Mountain in Porth, the Llangynidr Reservoir wildfire in Ebbw Vale, a long-lasting blaze in Blaenavon, a significant blaze in Rhinogydd, and the Rhandirmwyn pine forest fire in west Wales.

The most recent fire broke out on the Rhiw Mountain on the Llŷn Peninsula on 24 August.

Between 1 January and 10 August 2026, fire and rescue services across Wales and England have responded to a total 966 wildfires, according to National Resilience Data.

Phil Garrigan, Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), said: “We’ve dealt with almost 1,000 wildfires already this year and we’re only eleven days into August.

“The combination of drought conditions and another heatwave means the risk of fires remains high, and these incidents can place huge demands on firefighters and specialist resources.

“I’d like to thank firefighters and fire and rescue staff across the country, who have been responding to a high volume of challenging incidents in extremely difficult conditions throughout the summer.

“Many wildfires are preventable, so we’re asking people to be vigilant and take extra care outdoors while these conditions continue.”

Dispelling common myths about wildfires, Gwent Wildlife Trust explained that while climate change does not necessarily ignite wildfires directly, higher temperatures increase the risk of fires starting, while drier vegetation allows them to spread more quickly, making outbreaks more likely and potentially more dangerous.

The Wildlife Trusts Wales also issued a joint statement in response to wildfires, writing: “The impacts of climate change should now be in no doubt. Drought, extreme heat, wildfire, flooding, water scarcity and biodiversity loss are not separate problems.”

In their interview with Far Out Magazine, Wefail went on to say: “I just want my art to capture now, the times we’re living in. My hope is that when we’re all gone, aliens will find my art on planet Earth, and from it they will decipher how we went extinct”.

Reactions to Wefail’s work have been mixed, with several commenters commending the artist. One wrote: “Although tragic, this is a beautiful piece”.

However, others echoed earlier warnings that climate change and dry conditions are not the only factors behind wildfires, with one commenter pointing to fires being started deliberately.

“The kids in Wales sadly setting fires on purpose as social media trends,” another wrote. “Yes the land is dry and global warming has created dry landscape but the fires are not all started by themselves and the Sun.”

Wefail’s prints are available to purchase on their site here.

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