William Tsui

William Tsui centred his work on Aber/Blaengwynfi; a small village set in a fairly remote part of the Afan Valley. The photographer was drawn to this place in particular, as in many ways it epitomises the plight of so many of the South Wales Valleys which have been emasculated with the demise of the once thriving coal industry. Aber/ Blaengwynfi is a supreme example of a village fighting back for its survival, and while during the mid-eighties amenities in the town were extremely scarce, efforts were made in the early 1990s by the local community to regenerate and revitalise the town’s infrastructure. It was this enthusiasm and growing confidence evident in the people of Aber/Blaengwynfi that William Tsui set out to capture in his highly evocative portfolio of photographs. His images which comprise graphic yet compassionate portraits of many of the villagers at home and in the workplace, with a selection of images which explore the exquisite topography of the region. These photographs are a testament to the dedication and purpose of the current generation in Aber/Blaengwynfi, their sense of community and their insistence that this small enclave in the south west Valleys of South Wales remains in the public imagination, not as yet another postmining community on its knees, but as a thriving and developing community looking forward to the challenges of the 1990’s.