ARTIST ROOMS brings major Helen Chadwick exhibition to Oriel y Parc
A major exhibition of work by Helen Chadwick, which will for the first time show her Viral Landscapes in the landscape which inspired them, will open at Oriel y Parc, National Park Discovery Centre, St Davids this summer, bringing internationally recognised contemporary art to the heart of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.
Helen Chadwick: Body and Landscape will run from 11 July 2026 to 10 January 2027. Developed through Oriel y Parc’s partnership with Amgueddfa Cymru, the exhibition is organised as part of ARTIST ROOMS, Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland’s touring programme that presents the work of international artists in solo exhibitions.
Bryony White, Senior Curator at Amgueddfa Cymru said: “Helen Chadwick was a true original. Through her radical and singular approach to art and ideas, she produced a body of work which retains its relevance and power, even today. We’re delighted to partner with Oriel y Parc to present this exhibition in Pembrokeshire where, for the first time, visitors will be able to experience and enjoy some of Chadwick’s Viral Landscapes in the landscape which inspired them.”
One of the most radical and inventive artists of her generation, Chadwick worked across sculpture, photography and installation, using materials in bold and unexpected ways to explore ideas of self, gender, the body and the natural world.
The exhibition will have particular resonance in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, which inspired Chadwick’s Viral Landscapes series, created between 1988 and 1989, after being awarded an Artists in National Parks commission by the Victoria and Albert Museum.
She walked the Coast Path between Fishguard and Castlemartin, photographing the meeting point of land and sea, and experiencing the powerful effect on her senses and sense of self. This will be the first time her Pembrokeshire works have been shown in the landscape that inspired them.
The exhibition will also include her famous installation Piss Flowers (1991-2) and photographic works from Tate’s collection that demonstrate the originality and vitality of Chadwick’s practice. These works were shown in the recent ARTIST ROOMS displays at Tate Modern in London and the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh.
Although she died suddenly in 1996 at the age of 42, her prolific body of work and her commitment to teaching made her a vital influence on the next generation of British artists and beyond.
James Parkin, Director of Nature and Tourism at Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, said: “Helen Chadwick’s work has a powerful connection with Pembrokeshire, and it is very special to be able to bring pieces from her Viral Landscapes series back to the landscape that helped shape them.
“This exhibition reflects the strength of Oriel y Parc as a nationally significant gallery space and the importance of our partnership with Amgueddfa Cymru, Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland. It gives visitors a rare opportunity to experience major contemporary art in one of the most remarkable protected landscapes in the UK.”
Helen Chadwick: Body and Landscape will be on display at Oriel y Parc from 11 July 2026 to 10 January 2027. Admission is free.
Image Credit:
Viral Landscape #3 © Estate of Helen Chadwick. Courtesy Richard Saltoun Gallery
Credit for the portrait image:
© Kippa Matthews. Courtesy Estate of Helen Chadwick and Richard Saltoun Gallery
