Wilhelmina Barns-Graham

A selection of works by celebrated St Ives artist Wilhelmina Barns-Graham is on display throughout the Club’s staircase and reception. These works showcase her pioneering approach to abstraction and colour, revealing the enduring vitality of British modernism through her singular vision.

A founding figure of the St Ives School, Barns-Graham’s practice was shaped by her encounters with Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, and Naum Gabo, and evolved from precise perceptual studies to dynamic, expressive compositions. Her unique synthesis of geometry, movement, and bold colour defined a lifelong exploration of form and feeling.

This special presentation offers an intimate preview of Barns-Graham’s works on paper, ahead of her major solo exhibition at Tate St Ives in 2026. A trailblazer in a male-dominated field, she remains a vital reference point in the story of 20th-century British abstraction.

Ocean No. 2, 1992
Gouache
Support: 57.5 x 76.5 cm
Frame: 80 x 99 x 4.8 cm

Conversation, 2001
Acrylic on paper
Support: 56 x 76.5 cm
Frame: 80.5 x 99.4 x 4.7 cm

Composition on Red, 2001
Acrylic on paper
Support: 56.7 x 76.5 cm
Frame: 76.1 x 96 cm

Big Day, 2001
Acrylic on paper
Support: 57.5 x 77 cm
Frame: 77.5 x 96.4 cm

September Music, 1999
Acrylic on paper
Support: 58 x 77 cm
Frame: 77 x 96 cm

Beach Dance, 1997-98
Acrylic on paper
Support: 58 x 77.5 cm
Frame: 77.2 x 96 cm

Feb II, 1999-2001
Acrylic on paper
Support: 58.5 x 77 cm
Frame: 77 x 95.9 cm

Untitled, 1995
Gouache on paper
Support: 58 × 77 cm
Frame: 81.2 × 101.1 × 4.8 cm

Scorpio Series 1, No. 12, 1996
Acrylic on paper
Support: 56.5 x 76.5 cm
Frame: 80 x 99 x 4.7 cm

Black Sun, 1998
Acrylic on paper
Support: 57.5 x 76 cm
Frame: 80.1 x 99 x 4.8 cm

The Arts Club is grateful to the artists, lenders and gallery teams for their generosity and collaboration on this exhibition. The show is curated by Amelie von Wedel and Pernilla Holmes of Wedel Art.

Staircase & Reception Display
Installation courtesy of Gander & White.

For all enquiries, please contact: Wedel Art at email@wedelart.com