Art Articles

Plymouth Porcelain: A New Collection by Clare Twomey
Art - Apr 2022

Plymouth Porcelain: A New Collection by Clare Twomey

Inspired by the 'Breaking the Mould: Sculpture by Women since 1945' exhibition, we're shining a light on some of the female sculptors and artists in The Box's collections. ‘Plymouth Porcelain: A New Collection’ was originally unveiled on the former Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery’s balcony in 2012 and was created by leading ceramic artist, Clare Twomey.

Mrs Hamar by Sir Joshua Reynolds | The Box Plymouth
Art - Apr 2022

Mrs Hamar by Sir Joshua Reynolds

Like the enigmatic smile on this young woman’s face, there is more to this portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds than meets the eye. You can currently see it on display in our 'Dress Code - Fashion Stories from The Box' exhibition (until 4 September).

Little Black Dress by Maurizio Anzeri
Art - Apr 2022

Little Black Dress by Maurizio Anzeri

Over the next few months we're thrilled to be displaying a range of works by London-based Italian artist, Maurizio Anzeri. They're located in a range of spaces across The Box and this is one of the standout pieces. Discover more about it here.

Xixho by Zadie Xa | The Box Plymouth
Art - Apr 2022

Xixho by Zadie Xa

We have a beautiful exhibition on display by artist Zadie Xa (until 5 June) which uses historic items from our world cultures collection as a starting point for new work. We first became aware of Zadie's work in 2018 and were lucky enough to acquire two pieces by her for The Box's permanent collections. Read on to discover more about this one.

Unpacking the themes in ‘Breaking the Mould’ | The Box Plymouth
Art - Mar 2022

Unpacking the themes in ‘Breaking the Mould’

‘Breaking the Mould: Sculpture by Women since 1945’ has just opened and will be on display in St Luke’s at The Box and The Levinsky Gallery at the University of Plymouth until 5 June. The exhibition is divided into three themes, and you can discover more about them here.

The Box’s 2022 Maureen Attrill Bursary awarded to volunteer | The Box Plymouth
Art - Feb 2022

The Box’s 2022 Maureen Attrill Bursary awarded to volunteer

A volunteer has secured a special research bursary awarded by The Box each year in memory of a former long-serving curator.

Songlines: Kungkarrangkalnga-ya Parrpakanu (Seven Sisters Are Flying)
Art - Feb 2022

Songlines: Kungkarrangkalnga-ya Parrpakanu sculpture

In St Lukes Gallery, the sisters are brought to life in a huge artwork that’s suspended from the ceiling. This has been a really popular installation with our visitors and the story of its creation is a fascinating insight into traditional sculpture making in the NPY Lands.

Songlines: NPY Lands | The Box Plymouth
Art - Jan 2022

Songlines: NPY Lands

We have come to the last of our explorations of the three deserts that feature in ‘Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters’. The Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Lands span the central desert region of South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

How green is my county? Robert Bevan’s paintings of Devon
Art - Jan 2022

How green is my county? Robert Bevan’s paintings of Devon

Among the collections of The Box in Plymouth there’s a painting entitled ‘Green Devon’. It’s a work by the artist Robert Polhill Bevan (1865-1925), produced around 1919. The painting is an ideal portrayal of the landscape of the county and one of the aesthetic and cultural qualities highly valued by us, its greenness.

Songlines: The Wati Nyiru room | The Box Plymouth
Art - Jan 2022

Songlines: The Wati Nyiru room

Shortly after you enter St Lukes gallery, you’ll find the ‘Wati Nyiru room’. It’s quite a contrast from other parts of the exhibition as the objects are set against a red backdrop. Here we get a real sense of danger, fear and passion that runs throughout the Seven Sisters story.

Songlines: The immersive dome
Art - Jan 2022

Songlines: The immersive dome

Anyone walking past The Box in recent weeks can’t have missed the huge dome that’s currently located in Tavistock Place. Like many other elements in the ‘Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters’ exhibition, it brings together ancient locations and stories with the very latest in technology.

Songlines: Seven Sisters Tree Women and Wati Nyiru | The Box, Plymouth
Art - Jan 2022

Songlines: Seven Sisters Tree Women and Wati Nyiru

This wonderful group of woven sculptures can be found in the exhibition gallery beyond our Media Lab – the space where visitors first move into the APY Lands of South Australia in the 'Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters' exhibition. Find out more about how and why they were made.