A Sea of Stories

Robert Jakes is a sculptor and community artist based in south Pembrokeshire. His commission, Sea of Stories, is a ceramic mural celebrating the cultural history of the sea between Ireland and Wales. It is now installed at the Ferry Terminal at Pembroke Dock. The design of the mural was developed by placing stories on bisque-fired tiles making up a map of the sea, as images and short texts, in order to position stories in relation to each other. Wildlife, wrecks and transatlantic cables all lie below the surface of the water, along with myths and memories. Combining words and striking images, Robert Jakes captures the richness of life on and beneath the waves through time, from Viking treasure to wartime history, with ecological insights and even a contemporary postcard by a local resident. This image is a high quality composite photograph of the mural in situ taken in 2022 by Martin Crampin of the Ports, Past and Present project. It is suitable for use in IIIF.