Steffan Jones-Hughes

Steffan Jones-Hughes is an Artist. After studying in Farnham and Manchester in the 1980s and 90s, he produced t-shirt designs and worked for galleries including Tate, Whitworth, Walker Art Gallery. He has exhibited internationally. After establishing The Regional Print Centre, he worked for Arts Council England before developing the concept for Tŷ Pawb in Wrexham. After a brief spell as Curator at Aberystwyth Arts Centre he became Director of Oriel Davies in 2017.

“I like walking, talking, laughing, wild swimming, leisurely cycling, vegetarian food, crisps and eclectic music.”

WHAT YOU LIKE ABOUT WHAT ORIEL DAVIES DOES:

I’m a firm believer that art should be for everyone. It’s not just a nice little extra that can be added on, it’s an essential, integral part of people’s lives. It’s my duty to make sure that everyone is aware of the importance of art in our everyday lives. I’m passionate about materials, making stuff, and I want to tell stories through the exhibitions and projects we present. I want those stories to be diverse and sometimes challenging. Accessibility for all is my aim, and that means we have to try really hard to make sure that what we do is relevant to our audience. The arts are a key driver for economic development, they also make nice places even nicer. Art has the power to improve mental health and well-being, and also build community cohesion. Creativity is woven through our society. Everyone makes things. It makes us human.

A FAVOURITE CULTURAL ARTIFACT:

I like mass-produced things that become incredibly personal. I love my Swiss Army knife. It’s an incredibly useful tool. It was designed over a hundred years ago, but I’ve only had mine for 30 years. It’s a design classic, that’s been to Space, has been exhibited in MOMA New York, can whittle twigs, cut card and paper and sharpen pencils.