The Collegiate and Parish Church of St Mary, Swansea

The church is a showcase of important works by the students and staff of the stained glass course at Swansea from the 1980s and 1990s. Particularly notable are the Butterfly windows in the north wall of the north aisle by Kuni Kajiwara (1981), the only British work by this Japanese artist, an early window made by Tim Lewis’ Glantawe Studios, and Rodney Bender’s Welsh Guards Falklands Memorial window (1985).

Another one of the Swansea Alumni, Catrin Jones, has windows either side of the west door, and further windows a short walk away at the Priory Church of St David, Swansea.

The ‘Swansea work’ is preceded by windows by James Powell & Sons (1958–60), John Piper and Patrick Reyntiens (1965) and Chapel Studio (1978).

Further reading and information:
Stained Glass from Welsh Churches by Martin Crampin (Talybont: Y Lolfa, 2014)
Stained Glass in Wales – St Mary’s, Swansea
Stained Glass in Wales – Priory Church of St David, Swansea

Also to be seen at St Mary’s is a splendid painting, Deposition (1958), by Ceri Richards. More details can be seen on Art+Christianity’s Ecclesiart web pages, which raise awareness of significant works of modern and contemporary art since 1920 in UK churches and catedrals.