A NEW photography display inspired by a form of Japanese poetry has opened at an art gallery in Pontypool.

Supported by the Arts Council of Wales and Pontypool Community Council, The Kickplate Project’s 76m2 gallery launched its PhotoRenga exhibition on Friday, October 13.

“We have opened our latest exhibition at 76m2 and it’ll be something a little different this month,” said Zosia Krasnowolska, one of the curators at the gallery.

“A couple of weeks ago, we invited David Sinden and Kate Woodward to the gallery to host a PhotoRenga workshop.

“In David’s words, PhotoRenga are inspired by an ancient form of Japanese poetry, in which sequences of short haiku verses construct complex and profound poems.

“The aim of the PhotoRenga project is to produce series of short, collective visual rengas using photography - and so it’s the resulting renga from that day we’ll be exhibiting.”

The display features work from artists such as Jason Burgess, Paddy Faulkner, Bill Hart, Cardamon Jones, Rosie Swan and Kate Woodward.

The gallery will also be offering a new experience to guests.

“Over the next couple of weeks, our very own Dafydd Williams will be taking portraits of our gallery visitors with his homemade large format camera on photographic paper,” added Ms Krasnowolska.

“The resulting images will be included in an exhibition in our gallery in November and all the sitters will be given their photos to take home afterwards.

“If anyone would like to experience old-fashioned style studio photography, just pop in and we’ll arrange for Dafydd to photograph them.”

Go to http://thekickplateproject.weebly.com/ for details or search the Kickplate Project on Facebook.