Ceri Barclay's image of terraced houses in the Rhondda

Ten Welsh artists, many brought up in the valleys, will feature work at an exhibition called Visions of the Valleys.

Paintings featuring mining life and the changes that have followed since the pit closures will be shown.

Exhibition organisers say it is a recording of the changes the valleys have undergone over recent decades.

David Roe, from Attic Gallery in Swansea, where the exhibition is being held said it was topical.

It was a major blow to the valleys and we wanted to show an exhibition which reflected those changes and the different views of the valleys David Roe, Attic Gallery

"It is 20 years since the miners strike and so many changes have taken place," he said.

"It was a major blow to the valleys and we wanted to show an exhibition which reflected those changes and the different views of the valleys.

"It has gone through a lot of upheaval and the identity of many of the areas have altered.

"It is the first place to become a post-industrial nation.

"The work that will be shown features a number of different perspectives from the artists on how they see the valleys," he added.

Mr Roe, said that the artists featured had different viewpoints on the changes in the valleys.

David Carpanini records the social decay of the Afan Valley

He said the paintings had a variety of themes - social decay, issues of emasculation, lack of identity, changing landscapes.

Ceri Barclay, an artist who was brought up in Tonypandy but now lives in Swansea, is one of the artists whose work will feature in next month's exhibition.

"A lot of the paintings I do reflect my memories of when I was growing up," he said.

"They are quite dark and I am intrigued by the rows of terraced houses shadowed by the mountains.

"I think it is good that an exhibition like this is being put on because the valleys seem to be becoming a neglected area - the identity is changing so much.

"I feel they are very interesting places to look at.

"It's lost all of its slag heaps and coal mines except for Tower Colliery, but the landscapes are so very evocative.

"I just hope people will look at these paintings and see that they are interesting places to go to - they all have their own beauty in their own ways," he added.