Tessa Waite moved to Brecon from Cardiff in 1990 to take up an Artist in Residence post at, the now closed, Mid Wales Hospital, in Talgarth.

Being in the midst of the Bannau was a rich source of ideas and experiences which impacted her work, sense of self and the world around her.

Stimulating the creativity of patients was challenging and rewarding. She witnessed the positive impact of the creative process on the wellbeing of people who were at times in deep distress. This was a formative time for Tessa. She went on to work with many schools, colleges and communities, enjoying fostering creativity in others.

In 2014, she was commissioned by Peak Cymru to create an artwork for the atrium of Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny which she completed with a team of artists who each worked with a different community group. It is still there for all to enjoy.

In recent years her art practice has moved towards performance and she is part of Sgor, a Cardiff based performance art collective. She recently completed a land based project, ‘Backs to the Ground’ with a group of Brecon residents.

Annwfn Gallery, the beautiful new gallery run by Jon Wall, is hosting Tessa’s exhibition over 3 days from November 20-22. It will include work from her time at Mid Wales Hospital up to the present day, following her development and interests. She will be offering an improvised performance on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. A percentage of sales will go to support local and international charities.