Kyffin Williams, Los Altares (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru/The National Library of Wales)

Sir Kyffin travelled to the Argentinian region in 1968 to record the people and the countryside.

The exhibition, at Bodelwyddan Castle, Denbighshire, features a series of oil paintings he created in 1969-70.

A collection of pen and ink and watercolour works which he made during his travels is displayed.

The exhibition, which will run until 9 January, 2005, also includes some of the artist's personal possessions, such as his hat and jacket, as well as gifts he received while in Patagonia.

Links between Wales and Patagonia began at the start of the 19th Century, when a group of emigrants set out from Wales to establish a new Wales in the desert of south America.

Sir Kyffin, from Anglesey, is a member of the Royal Academy and is one of Wales' most famous artists.

A range of work by Sir Kyffin is on display

His visit to South America in 1968 was assisted by a Churchill Scholarship.

Several of his 35mm slides he took at the time, as well as sketches of people and panoramas, were given to the National Library of Wales, and a selection have been chosen for this exhibition.

The oil paintings on display were all produced over a period of a few months following his return.

The palette that he used for the watercolours has also been included.

A set of the artist's more retrospective works have also been selected.

In 1990, Sir Kyffin prepared a set of monochrome, pen and ink studies based on the earlier watercolours, 1968-9, taken in Patagonia.

These were published as illustration for A Wider Sky and subsequently gifted to the National Library of Wales.

In the new exhbition, these can be compared with the works taken on the spot.

A new book, called Kyffin in Patagonia, is also being published by The National Library of Wales to coincide with the exhibition.