A brand new exhibition has opened at York Art Gallery today (Friday).
The new exhibition celebrates the work, influence, and legacy of renowned arts & crafts textile designer William Morris.
The Art of Wallpaper: Morris & Co. is at York Art Gallery from Friday 27 September 2024 to Sunday 23 February 2025.
York is the first location to host this major touring exhibition, presented by Dovecot Studios, the world-renowned tapestry studio in Edinburgh, in partnership with Morris & Co.
It aims to offer a fresh perspective on Morris’s iconic wallpaper designs – showcasing why he is hailed as one of the most influential pattern designers in history and how his work continues to inspire home interiors today.
The exhibition features over 130 works from the Sanderson and Morris & Co. archives from the 1830s to the 1920s.
It will take visitors on a journey through the history of Morris & Co. Key works featured include rare formal Victorian designs that predate Morris, Victorian woodblocks, and ‘kinkarakawakami’, Japanese wallpaper produced for export, which influenced the designer.
The largest section of the exhibition will focus on William Morris and his legacy as a designer, writer, poet, translator, publisher, fervent socialist, environmentalist and protector of ancient buildings.
York Art Gallery’s curator of ceramics, Dr Helen Walsh said: “We are excited to have the opportunity to bring this exhibition to York Art Gallery and to showcase over a hundred of the most famous original wallpaper designs created by William Morris and his contemporaries.”
The exhibition will also feature a programme of accompanying talks and demonstrations.
To find out more, visit the York Art Gallery website.
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