Makenzy Beard, 15, of Swansea, has solo art show in Cardiff

Makenzy Beard is displaying her work at the Blackwater Gallery in Cardiff

A teenager whose work was displayed at the Royal Academy of Arts in London is holding her first solo exhibition.

When schools closed in March 2020, Makenzy Beard, from Swansea, started painting in her garden shed.

Makenzy, 15, is displaying her work in the Blackwater Gallery, Cardiff, with some selling for about £23,000 each.

She said: "It's really exciting and strange to see my work displayed, going there and being there with people wanting to chat to me about my work."

"I felt, not out of place, it was so unusual, but I'm really excited about where it will go after this and hopefully it will be the first of many," added Makenzy, a pupil at Bishopston Comprehensive School.

There have been 10 originals and six prints on display and so far nine originals have sold.

"It's one thing people appreciating it and then another having someone having it in their space, on their wall, that's something new entirely," she added.

Most of Makenzy's originals have sold already

"From a technical point of view there has to be a good light source and quite a lot of emotion in the face so there's something to capture when I paint it.

"It just has to be an interesting person, that's why I stick to portraits, it makes it so much easier for me to paint when I am thinking about the person themselves, who they are and what they're up to and capture a brief moment in time on a canvas."

Her work, which ranges from £6,000 to £23,000, will be sold exclusively through the same gallery until next year.

Makenzy began painting using her mum's art materials in their garden shed during lockdown in 2020.

Her mum Hannah said: "The extent to which Makenzy is painting now and where she is taking it supersedes most of us. It's a bit unusual.

"I think it is quite interesting. Whether she had sold anything or not, she would be painting anyway.

This is the first solo exhibit for Makenzy

"What people forget is, because of her age, the money is irrelevant to her because she can't really spend it.

"She uses it as a form of relaxation."

Makenzy said she had no strong hopes to exhibit more but wanted to explore her style of painting and link up with charities and causes close to her heart.

Makenzy's work focuses mainly on portraits

So far she has raised £7,500 for the Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal and also hoped to fundraise for a school in Africa with which her school is already partnered.

"If I've been given the ability to make money that I don't necessarily need at this time, if I can put that somewhere good, that is something I really want to do.

The paintings will remain on show until 14 October

"There is a school in Zambia called Mutende and I wanted to look at the possibility of our school rebuilding ties with them and help fund the rebuilding of classrooms in that school.

"I'm keen to do some paintings for them, to earn some money and give to that charity."

The exhibition runs until 14 October at the Blackwater Gallery, Cardiff.

Makenzy says she likes to "capture a brief moment in time on a canvass" with her portrait subjects

All images are subject to copyright

• HAYLEY PEARCE PODCAST: Tackling the issues that make the group chats go off

• SAM SMITH PRESENTS STORIES OF HIV: From Terrence Higgins to today