Solo Exhibitions

 

Following her first dedicated exhibition at Downing’s Bookshop, St Ives, in 1947, Barns-Graham was given solo exhibitions across the UK.

Below is a select list of Barns-Graham’s solo exhibitions arranged by date.

Three paintings grouped on a pale blue background. From left to right: an oil painting of abstracted geometric forms representing a cliff in pale shades on a dark background with yellow circle in top left corner; an oil painting of a studio interior in muted salmon shades with a blank canvas on a black easel and yellow jug on a red stool; an oil painting of a harbour with grey rooftops with salmon chimneys in the foreground and sea and horizon in the background.

1940 to 1960: St Ives

Following her arrival in St Ives in 1940, Barns-Graham established herself as a mainly figurative painter in local exhibitions. After a trip to the Grindelwald Glacier in May 1949, her abstract paintings bring wider commercial interest with subsequent shows in London and Edinburgh.

1947

Cornish Paintings – including some in watercolour and gouache by W. Barns-Graham, Fourth Summer Exhibition, Downing Bookshop, St Ives, 3 – 14 June 1947

1949

Recent Drawings, Monotypes and Paintings, Downing Bookshop, St Ives, 4 – 16 July 1949

1952

Recent Paintings Glacier Constructions, Redfern Gallery, London, 30 January – 29 February 1952

1954

W. Barns-Graham: Recent Italian Drawings, Downing Bookshop, St Ives, August 1954

Small Paintings, Carved Reliefs and Drawings, Rowland, Browse and Delbanco, London, September 1954

1956

W. Barns-Graham: Drawings from Sicily, Italy and south-west Cornwall, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, July 1956

1960

Recent Gouaches and Spanish Drawings, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, 2 – 16 July 1960

Three paintings grouped on an orange background. From left to right: an abstract composition of randomly arranged small squares in browns and oranges on a red background; an abstract composition with squares of varying sizes in orange, green, black and white; a narrow vertical composition of loose brushstrokes in black, brown, red and white.

1961 to 1980: Order and Disorder

After a few years in London, Barns-Graham returned to St Ives, purchased Barnaloft, a new modernist studio on Porthmeor beach. With the return, she moved from expressive landscape-based abstraction towards a more geometric style, a series she loosely grouped together as ‘Order and Disorder’ and shown in a few regional exhibitions.

1968

Four One-Man Shows – Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Campbell MacPhail, Denis Mitchell, John Wells, Richard Demarco Gallery, Edinburgh, 25 July – 12 August 1968

Roger Hilton. Willie Barns-Graham, Bear Lane Gallery, Oxford, 2 – 23 November 1968

1970

W. Barns-Graham: Paintings, Park Square Gallery, Leeds, 5 – 30 May 1970

W. Barns-Graham: Recent Paintings, Sheviock Gallery, Sheviock, September 1970

1971

W. Barns-Graham: recent paintings, Marjorie Parr Gallery, London, 11 June – 3 July 1971

1978

Recent Work by W. Barns-Graham, The New Art Centre, London, October 1978

1980

W. Barns-Graham: recent paintings, Sheviock Gallery, Sheviock, 7 September – 8 October 1980

The artworks grouped on a bright blue background. From left to right: a narrow vertical relief with a strip of small rectangles in bright colours on a grey background; an abstract painting with dark green/grey background and a cluster of small circles in lime green, blues and greys; a painting of two layers of parallelograms in grey, yellow, orange and blue in back layer and white and black in front layer

1981 to 1992: Expanding Forwards

In 1989, Douglas Hall curators a retrospective of Barns-Graham’s work at the City Art Centre and successfully tours the UK.

1981

W. Barns-Graham: Recent Paintings, LYC Museum and Art Gallery, Brampton, August 1981

Festival Exhibition 1981: W. Barns-Graham, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, 14 August – 5 September 1981

1982

W. Barns-Graham: Paintings and Drawings, Crawford Arts Centre, St Andrews, touring exh., UK: Crawford Arts Centre, St Andrews, 16 September – 10 October 1982; Pier Arts Centre, Stromness, 18 August – 8 September 1984

1987

W Barns-Graham: Paintings and Drawings, Gillian Jason Gallery, London, 28 January – 28 February 1987

1988

W. Barns-Graham, Ancrum Gallery, near Jedburgh, July 1988

1989

New Paintings by W. Barns-Graham, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, 12 April – 6 May 1989

W. Barns-Graham: Retrospective 1940-1989, City Art Centre, Edinburgh, touring exh., UK: Newlyn Art Gallery, 19 June to 8 July 1989; City Art Centre, Edinburgh, 7 October – 18 November 1989; Perth Museum and Art Gallery, 9 December 1989 – 25 February 1990; Crawford Arts Centre, St Andrews, 19 January – 25 February 1990; Maclaurin Art Gallery, Ayr, 5 – 30 May 1990

1990

W. Barns-Graham, Ancrum Gallery, near Jedburgh, July 1990

1992

W. Barns-Graham Drawings, Crawford Arts Centre, St Andrews, 5 June – 5 July 1992

W. Barns-Graham at 80: A New View, William Jackson Gallery, London, touring exh., UK: William Jackson Gallery, London, 14 April – 16 May 1992; Lillie Art Gallery, Milngavie, 2 – 27 September 1992; Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal, 9 January – 28 March 1993; Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter, 16 April – 15 May 1993; The McManus Gallery, Dundee, 18 September – 20 November 1993; Wakefield City Art Gallery, 27 November 1993 – 9 January 1994

Three paintings on an emerald background. From left to right: an abstract composition of vertical brushstrokes in bright colours on a dark grey background; an abstract composition of vertical brushstrokes in bright colours on a yellow background; an abstract composition of crossed and horizontal brushstrokes in bright colours on a red grey background

1993 - 2004: Late Flourish

The commercial success of Barns-Graham’s late Scorpio series paintings and screenprints renewed interest in exhibiting her work. In her last decade she was given shows at both Tate St Ives and National Galleries of Scotland, as well as regular exhibitions with her main representative, Art First in London.

1994

W. Barns-Graham: Drawings 1945-1960, Art First, London, September 1994

1995

W. Barns-Graham: New Paintings, Art First, London, November 1995

1996

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham [display], Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, 1996

W. Barns-Graham: Recent Paintings, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, March 1996

1997

W. Barns-Graham: New Paintings, Art First, London, May 1997

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: New Paintings, The New Millennium Gallery, St Ives, August 1997

1999

W. Barns-Graham, McGeary Gallery, Brussels, April 1999

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: New Paintings, Art First, London, May 1999

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: An Enduring Image, Tate St Ives, November 1999 – May 2000

2001

Painting as Celebration, Crawford Arts Centre, touring exh., UK: Crawford Arts Centre, St Andrews; Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro; Graves Gallery, Sheffield; York Art Gallry; Peter Scott Gallery, Lancaster; Ferens Art Gallery, Hull; Lillie Art Gallery, Milngavie; Hawick Museum

2002

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham at 90: a tribute from Art First, Art First, London, 2002

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: A Celebration at 90, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, 10 June – 3 July 2002

2004

A Tribute: Recent Paintings and Prints, Art First, London, 27 April – 27 May 2004

Three paintings grouped on a salmon background. From left to right: an oil painting of two rounded edge squares in pale pink and orange on a white background; a gouache painting of loose vertical brushstrokes in black brown and red with a large white 'D' shaped brushstrokes; an acrylic painting of elongated triangles touching, all pointing towards centre of the right edge, in greys, pinks, black, white and yellow

2004 onwards: The Trust

Following Wilhelmina Barns-Graham’s wishes to introduce her life and work to existing and new audiences, the Trust have continued to develop and support exhibitions showing her work in new contexts.

2005

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: Movement and Light Imag(in)ing Time, Tate St Ives, 22 January – 2 May 2005

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: Fine Prints from the Final Decade, Art First, London, May 2005

2006

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham (1912-2004): Important Works from Her Career, Art First, London, 16 May – 22 June 2006

Late Prints and Small Paintings, Dorse Frame Pictures, Christchurch, Dorset, 1 June – 31 July 2006

2007

W. Barns-Graham Paintings and Drawings: 1952-2003, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, 4 – 26 June 2007

Elemental Energies: The Art of Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Trinity Hall, Cambridge, 19 September – 16 December 2007

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: Evolution, Sherborne House, Dorset, 3 November – 16 December 2007

A Different Way of Working: The Prints of Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust, touring exh., UK: University of St Andrews, 11 November 2007 – 8 March 2008; Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, 5 – 19 May 2012; St Fergus Gallery, 26 May – 23 June 2012; Iona Gallery, 14 – 29 July 2012; Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries, 8 September – 18 November 2012; The Dick Institute, Kilmarnock, 19 January – 11 May 2013 (no catalogue)

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: A Life in Print, Penwith Gallery, St Ives, December 2007

2008

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham (1912-2004), Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh, July 2008

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: Paintings and Screenprints, Tom Caldwell Gallery, Belfast, September 2008

The Legacy of Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: Paintings and Drawings 1938-2003 in the Collection of The Barns-Graham Charitable Trust, Art London Art Fair, London, 1 – 6 October 2008

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: An Adventure in Printmaking, Bohun Gallery, Henley-on-Thames, 18 October – 1 November 2008

2009

Order and Disorder: The Paintings of Wilhelmina Barns-Graham 1965-1980, Art First, London, 24 March – 24 April 2009

A Discipline of the Mind: The Drawings of Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust, touring exh., UK: Pier Arts Centre, Stromness, 18 April – 6 June 2009; The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery, University of Leeds, 8 December 2009 – 26 February 2010; Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery, 22 May – 17 July 2010; Burton Art Gallery, Bideford, 3 March – 16 April 2012; Perth Museum and Art Gallery, 19 May – 20 October 2012

2010

W. Barns-Graham: Relief Collages 1982-87, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, 5 – 30 July 2010

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham – On Growth and Form: Paintings and Drawings 1950-2002, Tower Foyer Gallery, University of Dundee, 3 September – 6 November 2010 (no catalogue)

2011

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: Colour as Celebration, Bohun Gallery, Henley-on-Thames, 7 – 26 February 2011

2012

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: A Scottish Artist in St Ives, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust, touring exh, UK: Fleming Collection, London, 10 January – 5 April 2012; City Art Centre, Edinburgh, 24 December 2012 – 17 February 2013; Penlee House Gallery, Penzance, 10 September – 19 November 2016

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: A Line of Drawing, 1943-93, Art First, London, 28 March – 12 May 2012

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: From St Andrews to St Ives, 108 Fine Art, Harrogate, 20 April – 2 June 2012

A Joy of Colour: The Late Prints & Paintings of Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Watermill Gallery, Aberfeldy, 5 May – 5 July 2012

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: A St Andrews Modernist, The Fraser Gallery, St Andrews, 9 – 30 June 2012

A Centenary Tribute: Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, The Scottish Gallery, 3 August – 5 September 2012

W. Barns-Graham: An Artist in St Ives, Belgrave St Ives, 1 – 24 September 2012

Drawn to Colour: Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Shirley Crowther Art, Ditchling, 3 – 20 October 2012

2013

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: The Late Prints 1998-2004, Art@47, Pittenweem, 29 March – 28 April 2013

2014

Rhythm of Land and Sea, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, 6 – 29 October 2014

2015

Coast to Coast: Wilhelmina Barns-Graham in St Andrews and St Ives, Bohun Gallery, Henley-on-Thames, 7 February – 7 March 2015

2016

Last Light, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, 4 – 28 May 2016

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Collage Works 1982-1986, Art First, London, 5 September – 1 October 2016

St Andrews and St Ives, Belgrave St Ives, 10 September – 3 October 2016

Lines and Rhythms: Late Drawings and Prints, Watermill Gallery, Aberfeldy, 17 September 2016 – 10 January 2017

2017

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: An exhibition of works from the Trust, Waterhouse & Dodd, London, 7 June – 7 July 2017

2018

The Joy of Colour: Late Paintings and Prints by Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Bohun Gallery, Henley-on-Thames, 3 – 24 February 2018

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: Sea, Rock, Earth and Ice, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust, touring exh, UK: Jerwood Gallery, Hastings, 13 June – 7 October 2018; Graves Gallery, Sheffield, 8 December 2018 – 16 March 2019 (no catalogue)

Rhythms of Colour: Late Paintings and Prints, Watermill Gallery, Aberfeldy, 8 September 2018 – 27 January 2019

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: The Late Prints, Gallagher and Turner, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 28 September – 17 November 2018

2019

Earth, Ice, Rock and Sea: The Art of Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, 108 Fine Art, Harrogate, 2 – 23 February 2019

A Distant Isle: Wilhelmina Barns-Graham in Lanzarote, Belgrave St Ives, 10 – 30 June 2019

Inspirational Journeys, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust, touring exh., UK: The Granary Gallery, Berwick-upon-Tweed, 25 October 2019 – 23 February 2020; Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, 14 March – 19 September 2020; Pier Arts Centre, Stromness, 18 June – 20 August 2022

A Journey Through Four Decades, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, 30 October – 26 November 2019

2020

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: Collages from the 1980s, Waterhouse & Dodd, online only, 1 May – 1 June 2020

Nature’s Energy, Watermill Gallery, Aberfeldy, 25 July – 14 September 2020

2021

A New Dynamic: The Late Works, Waterhouse & Dodd, online only, 18 January – 12 February 2021

Dancing into the Light, Gallery East, Woodbridge, 20 April – 25 June 2021

Vision in Time, Tatha Gallery, Newport-on-Tay, 4 September – 2 October 2021

W. Barns-Graham: Selected Works 1951-2004, Belgrave St Ives, 11 September – 4 October 2021

2022

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: Colour in Motion, Glasgow Women’s Library, 11 June – 6 August 2022

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: A Life in Colour, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, 30 June – 23 July 2022

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: Painting & Printing, 1990-2004, Glasgow Print Studio, 4 August – 25 September 2022

2023

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: Paths to Abstraction, Hatton Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne, 11 February – 20 May 2023

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: Earth, Wind and Fire, Gallagher and Turner, Newcastle upon Tyne, 10 March – 6 May 2023

2024

A Scot in St Ives, British Museum, London, 30 January – 12 May 2024