A PARTIALLY blind artist will tell stories of Weymouth's history through a series of artworks made of braille.

Clarke Reynold is registered as partially blind and is gradually losing his sight. He has developed a collection of artwork, called 'The Art of Braille', that depicts the historic events in Weymouth, such as the sinking of the Earl of Abergavenny, through a series of braille artworks.

Clarke, who is based in Portsmouth, aims to raise awareness among sighted people of the importance of braille by using it as an artistic medium. He has launched his collection at Cove Gallery, Weymouth, but will hold a special exhibition at Nothe Fort on May 28 as part of Dorset Art Weeks 2021.

In the exhibition, Clarke will introduce seven pieces from his new collection, all of which feature a unique colour-coded version of braille so they can be enjoyed by people with or without visual impairments.

Clarke said: "I was born with limited sight in my right eye, but that never stopped me from doing what I love which is being creative. Recently, I started to lose sight in my other eye. I want my art to be experienced by everyone, regardless of whether they can see or have a visual impairment.

"Words are hugely important as they are the means to describe what a visually impaired person can see, and braille is a tactile language that helps people with low vision to read.

"I have taken a tactile language and made it visual using tiny dots, and exploring through colour, size and shape to make braille more accessible for people who can see."

Paul Mooney, co-owner of Cove Gallery, is delighted to be showcasing Clarke's work. He said: "Clark is a truly inspirational artist and this is a breakthrough year for him, with a busy programme of exhibitions and events ahead.

"We are delighted and privileged to be hosting this special exhibition at Cove Gallery. We are also very proud to be holding the launch event at Nothe Fort."

The event is free but tickets must be booked in advance. For more information on the event and to book tickets, visit the Cove Gallery website or phone 01305 767025.