Journeys with Mai
14 Feb 2026 - 14 Jun 2026
10am-5pm Tuesday to Sunday and selected bank holidays
Take a journey of discovery across four gallery spaces exploring the complex histories between Europe and the South Pacific. Centre stage will be ‘Portrait of Mai’ by Plympton-born Sir Joshua Reynolds – widely considered to be his finest work and a portrait of the first Polynesian person to visit Britain.
More info
For your enjoyment, we’ll be ticketing this free exhibition, although there will be spaces on the day for walk-ups. To guarantee your spot, sign up to our newsletter via our website and be the first to hear about tickets.
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Formerly known as 'Omai' in England, Mai (c.1753-1779) was a native of Ra‘iātea (now French Polynesia). He travelled to and from England as part of Captain James Cook's second and third voyages, both of which departed from Plymouth.
Mai spent the years 1774-76 in Britain, and it was during this time that Reynolds painted his portrait. The painting was jointly acquired by The Getty and National Portrait Gallery in 2023, and this will be the last chance to view it before it heads across the Atlantic for American audiences to enjoy for a while.
Journeys with Mai will examine ideas of power and perception and include a range of historic paintings, prints and objects from The Box’s collections and on loan from national partners to build a picture of early encounters between Europeans and South Pacific Island peoples.
Lisa Reihana’s In Pursuit of Venus [infected] will offer a counterpoint to many of these images. This monumental video work uses 21st century digital technologies to animate an historic 19th century French wallpaper, highlighting the complexities of colonisation and presenting a different perspective on these early European voyages and cultural exchanges.
Tomorrow we’ll sail the vast deep again, a new commission by Devon-based artist Mohini Chandra will respond directly to the themes of the exhibition, considering the voyages that once departed Plymouth for the South Pacific, Mai’s presence in the city as a visitor in the mid-1770s, and Reynolds’ local connections.
Archive and research materials from The Box’s collections that relate to Mai’s time in Plymouth and the city's role in early encounters between people from Europe and the South Pacific will also be on display.
Journeys with Mai is a major national partnership project led by the National Portrait Gallery with Cartwright Hall Art Gallery (Bradford District Museums and Galleries), the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge and The Box. The project has been made possible thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and other supporters.
Images
Header: NPG 7153. Portrait of Mai (Omai), Sir Joshua Reynolds c 1776 (detail). Oil on canvas; 236 x 145.5cm. Image courtesy of National Portrait Gallery, London and Getty.
Article: In Pursuit of Venus [infected], Lisa Reihana, 2015 on display at the Royal Academy, London in 2018. Image by Jo Clarke.