Amgueddfa Cymru
Through Gwen’s eyes: bringing a hidden pioneer into the spotlight.
Project Overview
Brand strategy
Design
Motion
Tone of voice
Digital and physical advertising
Gwen John saw the world differently: quietly, attentively and with extraordinary depth.
Gwen John: Hardd a Hynod / Strange Beauties marks 150 years since her birth and the first major exhibition of her work in over 40 years, bringing a pioneering Welsh artist into public conversation. It is the first major expression of Amgueddfa Cymru’s new vision: Amgueddfa Fyw, a bold ambition to become an immersive, accessible living museum for everyone, and a clear statement of intent.
Uned developed the exhibition branding and campaign framework, transforming an intimate body of work into a national cultural moment that extends far beyond the gallery walls.
Our approach
Elevate
The visual system begins with Gwen’s own signature. Seen across her paintings and the thousands of letters she wrote,
it becomes a bold marque. Uniting paintings, sketches and words into a single authored voice, reinforcing Gwen as a guiding voice.
Illuminate
We paired her muted palette with a bold highlight yellow inspired by her love of flowers, especially the Tenby daffodil. This cuts through busy public environments and moves her from the margins into the spotlight.
Invite
The campaign invites audiences to notice, explore and participate through compelling copy and engaging activations. It doesn’t lecture – it opens a door. The result is a visual language that feels intimate yet confident.
Our approach
Digital applications gently bring Gwen’s paintings to life. By analysing the light and depth within her work, we created subtle animated movements that trigger a second look without distorting the artwork. Portraits breathe. Paintings feel present.
This motion system runs across social, digital screens and out-of-home, allowing Gwen’s work to live naturally in contemporary media spaces while remaining faithful to her practice.
The results
↗ 227%
Ticket sales target more than doubled
↗ 52%
Of visitors pre-booked online
The response exceeded every projection. Strange Beauties sold 34,068 tickets, more than double the museum’s original target, with both the visual identity and the wider marketing campaign helping drive people through the door.
The shift wasn’t only in scale, but in behaviour: the campaign achieved its highest pre-booking rate to date, with 52% of visitors booking their tickets online ahead of time – proof that the identity travelled as well through a screen as it did through a gallery.
