Find a way to view Elias's artwork

Now there is a chance to catch some of his work in a new tour at Newport Museum and Art Gallery.

Many regard Elias's work as proudly autobiographical, drawing a lot from memories of childhood experiences.

Elias's paintings are consequently rich in symbolism and of deep personal significance to their maker.

He employs objects and motifs that have a special association with or, for him, have come to symbolise his family, community and their domestic circumstances.

Those who are dear to him are defined in his paintings by their interiors and possessions; things remembered, observed and distilled.

Palm-patterned wallpaper, the television set, aunt Katy's torch and grandmother's semi-detached house are just some of the motifs that recur and link series of works exploring specific themes. Most distinctive, however, is the cinematic perspectives he employs in his work.

He said: "As a young child in the 1950s I would often spend an afternoon or evening with my Aunty Katy who worked as an usherette in a local cinema.

"From the early 70s when I first exhibited my work, I worked almost exclusively through the medium of collage and photomontage to make small-scaled images."

* Ken Elias - Finding a Way runs at Newport Museum and Art Gallery from May 21 until July 2.