The Soul of the Valleys: The Life and Vision of Ernest Zobole Ernest Zobole (1927-1999) remains a singular voice in Welsh art history, an artist whose canvases breathed with the grit and beauty of the Rhondda Valleys during the twilight years of industrial Britain. Born in Tylorstown, within the heart of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Zobole’s formative years were deeply steeped in the atmosphere of coal mining communities. As the son of a miner, he absorbed firsthand the rhythms of working-class life—the camaraderie, the hardship, and above all, the profound connection to the land. This intimate famili…