Art Annoucement: London's Barbican Centre to Stage First UK Solo Show by Artist and Director Liam Young in 2026

The Barbican has announced that it will mount the first UK solo exhibition by artist, director and BAFTA-nominated producer Liam Young in May 2026. In the world of fashion retail, lifestyle and design businesses, we often make forecasts about the trends we expect in coming seasons. Now a new exhibition scheduled to take place at the Barbican will extend that practice of looking ahead, exploring speculative futures shaped by climate realities and emerging technologies. In Other Worlds, part of the centre’s Summer season, will invite visitors to consider how alternative futures might be imagined and collectively created.

Film still from After the End (2024) by Liam Young. Image courtesy of the artist.

Young, whose work sits between design, fiction and futurism, is known for constructing imagined worlds that serve as test sites for the social and environmental challenges ahead. 

“The future doesn't rush over us like water… It's an act of creation,” he said, framing the exhibition as an invitation to collectively reimagine what comes next.

Bringing together film, sound, costumes, props, miniature models, comics and tapestries, the show will immerse visitors in a series of possible futures grounded in real technological and climate-based scenarios.

A major highlight will be the world premiere of World Machine (2026), a Barbican commission blending live-action footage and CGI. The film visualises a near-future Earth transformed into a planetary-scale supercomputer, its landscapes enmeshed in networks driving large-scale AI. Young imagines alternative approaches to technology production, speculating on renewable-powered data centres operating in harmony with rewilded environments. The work simultaneously reflects human ambition and the precarious opportunity to rethink our relationship with nature.

Other moving-image works on display will include Planet City (2021), envisioning the world’s population condensed into a single ultra-dense settlement; The Great Endeavour (2023), which depicts the engineering feats required to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere; and After the End (2024), a collaboration with Aboriginal actor and activist Natasha Wanganeen. The latter offers a 50,000-year timelapse tracing First Nations histories, colonisation, resource extraction and a speculative future centred on post-fossil-fuel energy systems and land reclamation.

Sections of a graphic novel and audio narratives created with leading contributors from film, television, science fiction and graphic storytelling will accompany visitors through the exhibition, further expanding the featured worlds.

Luke Kemp, Head of Creative Programming for Barbican Immersive, said the moment feels right “to once again look for new stories, imagine different futures and create the worlds that we want to exist”. In Other Worlds, he added, presents hopeful possibilities shaped by bold environments and innovative storytelling.

Devyani Saltzman, the Barbican’s Director for Arts & Participation, described the exhibition as part of the centre’s commitment to exploring urgent contemporary issues. Young’s practice, she said, demonstrates that imagining alternatives is “essential to understanding today’s world with imagination, rigour and hope”.

Presented by Barbican Immersive—its strand dedicated to contemporary culture, emerging technology and digital creativity—the exhibition will tour internationally after its London run.

Young’s work has been shown at major global platforms including Channel 4 in the UK, Tribeca, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Royal Academy, the Venice Biennale, the BBC and The Guardian. His projects have been acquired by museums such as MoMA, the Smithsonian, the Art Institute of Chicago and the V&A. Alongside his creative practice, he is a sought-after futurist, advising clients from NASA and Google to BMW and Microsoft. He also leads the Masters in Fiction and Entertainment at SCI-Arc in Los Angeles.

In Other Worlds - Barbican Centre - 21 May – 6 September 2026

Show Announcement: Dubai Fashion Week Reveals 2026 Dates and Expands Global Ambitions for AW26/27 Edition

Dubai Fashion Week (DFW)* has confirmed that its Autumn/Winter 2026–2027 edition will run from 1–6 February 2026, with organisers promising a dynamic programme designed to further cement Dubai’s status as a global fashion capital. The event is set to showcase a wide-ranging roster of designers, supported by an expanded buyers’ programme, curated presentations, and a slate of high-profile industry engagements.

Etoile La Boutique - Dubai Fashoin WeeK Spring/Summer 2026 edition.

Co-founded by Dubai Design District (d3), part of TECOM Group PJSC, and the Arab Fashion Council (AFC), DFW continues to position itself strategically ahead of the major international fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan, and Paris. 

This season will highlight a strong mix of talent from the UAE and the wider MENA region, alongside designers from India, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, each bringing distinctive cultural perspectives to the Dubai runway.

Paolo Sabastian - Dubai Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2026 edition.

The announcement follows the success of the Spring/Summer 2026 season, which marked a major milestone for the platform. That edition featured an array of regional and international designers, immersive citywide showcases, the latest Thread Talks instalment, an expanded Buyers Programme, and a series of brand activations. Its elevated guest list — including leading editors, buyers, celebrities, and global industry figures — helped propel the event to new levels of international visibility.

Organisers say the upcoming AW26/27 season will build on this momentum with an even more ambitious schedule. Highlights will include runway shows, curated presentations, and industry discussions focused on sustainability, inclusivity, craftsmanship, and digital fashion. Exclusive collection launches, invitation-only dinners, and strategic networking events will also feature prominently throughout the week.

Jasmi HC - Dubai Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2026 edition.

Beyond d3, DFW will activate multiple locations across the city through its expanded Buyers’ Programme, offering global buyers from around the world access to private presentations, collection previews, and designer showrooms. The initiative aims to support designers seeking to broaden their international footprint.

Applications for participation are now open via the official DFW website, with all submissions reviewed by the event’s Selection Committee, which curates the final list of participating designers.

For all Dubai Fashion Week events and news, click HERE.

* Dubai Fashion Week traces its roots to 2008, when it launched as Fashion Forward Dubai (FFWD), a biannual platform designed to elevate emerging designers from the UAE, GCC, and wider Middle East. Over its early years, FFWD quickly became the region’s leading fashion showcase, pairing runway presentations with industry talks and designer development programmes. 

Between 2015 and 2022, the platform evolved in scale and ambition, reflecting Dubai’s rise as both a cultural and commercial powerhouse. Increased participation from international buyers and editors helped transform the event from a regional showcase into an influential stop on the global fashion circuit. In 2023, FFWD formally rebranded as Dubai Fashion Week, co-founded by d3 and the Arab Fashion Council. 

Today, Dubai Fashion Week is recognised as a vital bridge between East and West, leveraging the city’s unique geographic position and multicultural identity to connect designers, buyers, and markets across the Middle East, South Asia, Europe, and Africa. Dubai’s role as a luxury, tourism, and creative hub enhances the event’s global draw.

Interior Textiles Trend: ILIV Unveils 2026 Fabric Forecast, Highlighting Warm Hues and Narrative Textures

British fabric producer ILIV, part of the Lancashire-based SMD Group, has released its 2026 Fabric Forecast, pointing to a year shaped by warm tones, tactile finishes and rising demand for personalisation in home interiors.

Known for its eclectic and diverse design approach, ILIV combines trend-led styling with a distinctly British design perspective, supplying textiles across both residential and commercial sectors. The company positions itself as a pioneer in innovative fabric design, drawing on archival inspiration while adapting to contemporary tastes.

ILIV's Tree of Life story in Blush

Announcing the forecast, ILIV’s Design Manager, Debbie Leigh, said there is a growing appetite for fabrics that feel “handcrafted and rooted in story”, characterised by rich weaves, gentle irregularities and heritage-inspired textures. 

“The 2026 trend toward interiors with a narrative means fabrics are more than just a background — they become part of the story,” she said.

Leigh noted that colour palettes are set to shift beyond traditional neutrals. “Bold, up-toned terracotta, red-orange and sun-kissed earth tones will appear in upholstery, curtains and cushions, picking up on the optimism and human-connection cues that designers highlight for 2026.”

ILIV's Pembury Collection.
Steeped in traditional designs and celebrating English heritage, the Pembury fabric collection comprises traditional Jacobean trailing florals, classic checks, vertical stripes and small scale motif prints.
The collection is woven into the deep-rooted cultural heritage of the home counties channelling the quaint villages of Pembury, Windsor and Evesham.

ILIV's Tree of Life Collection in Blush colourway.
Sofa in Perseus Tapestry. 
Cushions left to right: Carwayn Vermillion from Studio Plains; Perseus Tapestry, Odila Cinnabar from House Prints colelction, Amoli Ruby; Blake parchment from Studio Plains

Personalisation will also come to the forefront, with fabrics increasingly used as a medium for individual expression. Printed motifs, tailored upholstery and bespoke accent pieces are expected to gain traction as homeowners seek designs that reflect their identity.

ILIV's Verini Fabric Collection.
Cushions - Middle: Murano Charcoal. Clockwise from top left: Napoli Sea Green, Segoa Sea Green, Segoa Ochre, Summit Seapine, Severino Charcoal.

“In a fast-moving world, texture can help to slow things down by adding gravitas and comfort,” Leigh added. “2026 interiors will feel more rooted, and fabric is central to that.”

Leigh also anticipates the rise of subtle colour gradations within interiors, with soft furnishings layered in tones from the same family. “Think cushion fabrics that pick up the ceiling tone, or curtains that echo wall pigment in a deeper key. Fabrics will quietly enhance a scheme’s depth,” she said.

ILIV's House Print Collection in Coral.
Footstool in Bandhani Coral;  Curtains in Suhani Coral; Blind in Odila Aqua.  Cushions from left to right - Bandhani Coral, Pamina Aqua, Patola Linen, Shani Coral.

Founded in 1987 in Lancashire — a region steeped in textile heritage — the SMD Group has grown from a family-run business into one of the UK’s leading interior fabric suppliers. ILIV, recognised for its eclectic style ranging from archival prints to contemporary geometrics, continues to bridge modern and traditional design influences.

All images courtesy of ILIV.

Trade Fair: Denim Première Vision returns to Milan with a focus on innovation and responsible transformation

Denim Première Vision SS27 edition to be dedicated to innovation, creativity,
and responsible transformation in the denim industry. 
Image from Denim Première Vision 

Denim Première Vision - the textile trade fair - returns to Milan’s Superstudio Più this November 26–27, 2025, with an edition dedicated to innovation, creativity, and responsible transformation in the denim industry. Reinforcing its role as an international reference for the entire denim value chain, the show acts as a creative laboratory, gathering iconic names, emerging labels, and textile innovators to share ideas and inspiration. 

This Spring-Summer 2027 edition invites visitors to immerse themselves in the future of denim, through a curated selection of international exhibitors, a conference program, and exclusive creative collaborations. 

Among this year’s highlights, several renowned figures will headline the event. Amy Leverton, international trend forecaster and founder of Denim Dudes, will share her inclusive, modern, and eco-conscious vision of denim culture. A trusted voice in the industry, she has collaborated with brands such as Levi’s, GAP, and H&M.

Supported by the Kering Material Innovation Lab (MIL), a world leader in sustainable textiles, who supports both the group’s iconic houses (Gucci, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga…) and a new generation of designers in developing responsible creations, S|STYLE - DENIM LAB will showcase the latest projects of 8 rising designers.

Kristian Guerra, Head Designer at 44 Level Group, signs the concept and art direction for the Denim Forum and will share his experimental vision of contemporary denim in an exclusive talk.

Innovation takes center stage with eco-designed materials such as cacao fiber developed by Doors, or bio-based dyes by Chloris Biochem, Emily Gubbay’s circular colour system, cutting-edge technologies, and sustainable processes like Calik’s zero-water dyeing method. Responsible luxury is represented by exhibitors including Geocot, Stylem Takisada, Caitac, and ISKO, who bring exceptional fabrics and high-end creativity to the pursuit of ever more desirable and durable denim.

Over 65 international exhibitors will showcase their SS27 collections, including 60% weavers, 20% garment makers, 6% accessory suppliers, and 5% chemical producers—covering the full denim supply chain. 

Highlights of the show:- 

FASHION DISTRICT

The Fashion District doubles its size to welcome more than 20 ready-to-wear and accessory brands. Rising talents and established labels will unveil exclusive capsule collections co-created with denim exhibitors.

Daily Blue by Adriano Goldschmied, Demiurgo, Emina Batik, Fade Out Label, Gimmi Jeans, Hooded Myv, Kentroy Yearwood, Lucia Chains, Marios, Nik Gallo, Simon Cracker, Stripes Of-F Road, Tmmt Clothing, Victor Hart

S|STYLE - DENIM LAB - supported by Kering Material Innovation Lab (MIL)

Founded in 2020 by Giorgia Cantarini, journalist and stylist, S|STYLE is the independent platform dedicated to emerging creatives who want to work with sustainable criteria. The 2025 edition, in collaboration with KERING MIL, Kering's Material Innovation Lab, focuses on denim and responsible water management, in line with Kering Water's Strategy for a net positive water impact by 2050. As guest of honor, Kering’s MIL partners with 8 brands that will be presented in the Fashion District. — Gerrit Jacob, Gisèle Claudia Ntsama, Institution, Jeanne Friot, Macy Grimshaw, Nadya Dzyak, Phan Dang Hoang and Sia Arnika — to develop projects that merge creativity and sustainability. The exhibition space will feature a site-specific installation created to emphasize the identity and the value of the project. using recycled and denim fabrics, enhancing the designers’ creations.

TREND FORECASTING

Denim specialist Julieta Mercerat (Première Vision) and trend expert Amy Leverton (Denim Dudes) will present the SS27 denim forecast in 2 exclusive season seminars to explore the cultural narratives shaping the future of jeans. Full conference program here.

DENIM INDEX

A brand-new area showcasing over 150 fabric and accessory samples from 30 exhibitors. This curated selection is designed to facilitate material sourcing for jeans production and to provide a clear and immediate overview of the show’s global offer.

DENIM FORUM

Imagined by Kristian Guerra, this forum offers a unique interpretation of SS27 trends through an innovation materials zone and, for the first time, an exhibition of silhouettes created with exhibitors’ fabrics.

SPORTSWEAR INTERNATIONAL - 50 YEARS ANNIVERSARY

The iconic publication celebrates its 50th anniversary with two evening events in collaboration with Denim Première Vision and Pioneer Denim on November 26, on-site.

Technical Outerwear: Allied Feather + Down, NetPlus and Resortecs unveil circular jacket with Peak Performance

The R&D Helium Loop Anorak

Growing awareness of the environmental impact of performance apparel is pushing brands to rethink how technical garments are designed, used and disposed of. As consumers demand products that align with their values—and as regulators move to curb waste and reliance on virgin petrochemicals—circularity has become a strategic priority across the sportswear sector.   High-performance gear, often made from complex combinations of synthetics, insulation and trims, has traditionally been among the hardest to recycle. But advances in materials science, disassembly-friendly construction and take-back systems are enabling companies to design products that maintain performance while remaining suitable for repair, reuse and end-of-life recycling.

Now Swedish outdoor and ski-wear company - Peak Performance - has partnered with a trio of material-innovation firms to develop what the companies describe as a breakthrough in circular design for technical outerwear. 

The R&D Helium Loop Anorak, created with Allied Feather + Down, NetPlus, Pertex and Resortecs, aims to overcome long-standing barriers to recycling multi-material performance garments.

Technical jackets typically combine components such as natural down insulation, nylon shells, zips and elastic trims. This mix has made end-of-life recycling difficult, as the items are hard to separate without labour-intensive processes. The Helium Loop project sets out to demonstrate that products can be engineered from the outset to be disassembled and recycled.

“For years, brands have wanted to introduce more circularity into their products, but the onus has fallen on ingredient partners and start-ups,” said Matthew Betcher, creative director at Allied Feather + Down. “Garments need to be designed for circularity before any sense of recyclability can start to be possible. That’s why we’re excited to work with Peak Performance to build, from the beginning, a truly circular product.”

Each partner contributed a specialist component. Allied supplied 800-fill-power down, which the company describes as renewable, recyclable and biodegradable. NetPlus, a material made from discarded fishing nets collected before they reach the ocean, was transformed into 100% post-consumer recycled nylon yarn. Pertex then wove that yarn into the anorak’s shell and lining. Resortecs provided Smart Stitch, a heat-activated thread that melts during controlled disassembly, allowing the shell fabrics and down insulation to be separated cleanly for recycling.

Designer Marie Andersson said the project shows that circularity and performance need not be at odds. “True circularity isn't about accepting compromises; it’s about engineering garments to be unmade as thoughtfully as they’re made,” she said. “When premium materials meet disassembly-focused design, every component can maintain its highest value across multiple lifecycles.”

David Stover, CEO of Bureo, the company behind NetPlus, said the initiative highlights how alternative materials can reduce reliance on fossil fuels. “Technical outerwear is typically built from crude oil,” he said. “By connecting better materials with thoughtful design, the Peak Performance team explored the challenge of building products suited for end-of-life recycling and helped push the industry transition away from fossil fuel.”

The Helium Loop Anorak remains an R&D project, but its creators hope the approach will influence future commercial product lines and set a model for circular design in high-performance outdoor apparel.

Exhibition Announcement: A Century of Style: Queen Elizabeth II’s Fashion Legacy Celebrated in Historic Buckingham Palace Exhibition

A landmark exhibition celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s enduring influence on British fashion will open at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace in London on 10 April 2026. 

Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style is set to be the most extensive display of the late monarch’s wardrobe ever staged, featuring around 200 items—half of them making their public debut. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, 4 November via the Royal Collection Trust website.

Queen Elizabeth II on Princess Margaret’s Wedding Day, Cecil Beaton, 1960.
© Cecil Beaton / Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Hat worn for the wedding of Princess Margaret, Claude St Cyr, 1960.© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust. Photographer: Paul Bulley

Three leading British designers—Erdem Moralioglu, Richard Quinn and Christopher Kane—will each contribute a piece inspired by the late Queen’s distinctive style. Their works, drawn from previous collections, will be shown alongside related garments from the Queen’s archive. All three designers will also provide reflections for the exhibition’s official publication, Queen Elizabeth II: Fashion and Style, which includes a tribute by Dame Anna Wintour and an essay by Professor Amy de la Haye of the London College of Fashion.

Exhibition curator Caroline de Guitaut said the retrospective would demonstrate the “symbolism, tailoring and British craftsmanship” that defined the Queen’s wardrobe. “We are thrilled to include works by three contemporary designers who have so successfully reinterpreted her style for the present day,” she added.

The exhibition will chart Queen Elizabeth II’s attire across all ten decades of her life, from couture evening gowns to the tailored countrywear that became synonymous with her off-duty style. Many of the garments—now part of the Royal Collection—will be accompanied by original sketches, fabric samples and annotated design drawings, some bearing notes penned by the late Queen herself.

Ensemble worn for the wedding of Princess Margaret, Norman Hartnell, 1960

Highlights include an apple-green Norman Hartnell gown worn at a 1957 state banquet for US President Eisenhower, and the blue crinoline-skirted gown and bolero chosen for Princess Margaret’s wedding in 1960. Items from her private wardrobe will also feature, such as a 1950s Harris tweed jacket and Balmoral tartan skirt, as well as the green coat designed by Angela Kelly and worn in her later years.

Transparent rain coat, worn over a patterned silk day dress and coat, both by Hardy Amies, 1970s.© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust. Photographer: Jon Stokes

One of the more unexpected pieces on display is a clear plastic raincoat created by Hardy Amies in the 1960s, considered a precursor to the Queen’s later transparent umbrellas edged in colour to match her outfits. Amies would go on to produce futuristic designs for Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Evening gown by Norman Hartnell, 1957. Worn for a state banquet given for President Eisenhower at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. Here displayed in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle. Credit: © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust. Photographer: Paul Bulley

A previously unseen Hartnell sketch for a silver lamé dress designed for a 1972 State Visit to France will also be shown, bearing the Queen’s handwritten note indicating that it was later re-worn for the opening of parliament in Canberra—evidence of her long-standing practice of repeating outfits.

The silver lamé beaded shift dress is shown in photo below.

Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style is at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, from 10 April to 18 October 2026.

Royal Collection Trust will offer £1 tickets to visitors receiving Universal Credit and other named benefits, alongside concessions for young people aged 18 to 24, as part of its commitment to widening access to the Collection.

Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style is at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, from 10 April to 18 October 2026.

Exhibition Review: Towner Eastbourne presents Impressions in Watercolour: J.M.W. Turner and his Contemporaries

Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851), better known as J. M. W. Turner, is widely hailed as one of Britain’s greatest and most influential artists. Alongside his celebrated contemporary — and lifelong rival — John Constable, Turner reshaped the course of landscape painting. Born just a year apart, the two came from markedly different backgrounds, yet shared a determination to elevate the landscape genre and redefine how the natural world could be seen.

Joseph Mallord William Turner, Sarner See, c.1844. Private Collection. Photo © Fisheye Images

As Tate Britain prepares to open a major exhibition devoted to these two giants, another institution is marking a significant Turner milestone. To celebrate the 250th anniversary of Turner’s birth, the Towner Art Gallery in Eastbourne, East Sussex, is turning the spotlight not on the oil paintings for which he is best known, but on the medium that shaped his early career and remained central throughout his life: watercolour.

The Towner exhibition, “Impressions in Watercolour: J. M. W. Turner and His Contemporaries”, running until 12 April 2026, brings together an exceptional selection of Turner’s watercolours alongside works by artists from the flourishing British watercolour tradition of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It offers a rare opportunity to see how Turner, even in his youth, pushed watercolour far beyond topographical accuracy towards the atmospheric, luminous effects that would come to define his mature style.

Joseph Mallord William Turner, Mount Pilatus from across the Lake of Lucerne, c.1844.
Private Collection. Photo © Fisheye Images

Turner’s story is one of ambition and relentless curiosity. From modest beginnings, he travelled widely — across Britain and throughout Europe, from the Swiss Alps to the Italian lakes and the banks of the Rhine — seeking dramatic vistas and shifting weather that could challenge and expand his artistic vision. In doing so, he redefined landscape painting as something poetic, emotional and profoundly modern.

J. M. W. Turner’s watercolours are presented alongside those of his notable contemporaries, highlighting Turner at his most experimental and expressive through a selection of his landscape and seascape works.
Photo courtesy of Towner Eastbourne.

Today, Turner remains a cornerstone of British cultural identity — immortalised on the £20 note and revered as the creator of some of the most iconic depictions of sea, sky and light ever painted. The Eastbourne exhibition is a timely reminder that his genius was not forged in oil alone, but also in the shimmering, transparent delicacy of watercolour — the medium through which he first learned to capture the world anew.

Visitors from the South Sussex coastal towns will be delighted to find works depicting familiar landscapes. Turner created many pieces for the Sussex esquire John Fuller (1757–1834), including Pevensey Bay from Crowhurst Park (1816), an etching on paper showing sweeping views over Bexhill — a stone’s throw from Eastbourne — from the elevated vantage point of the Pelham family estate, with the Eastbourne headland visible in the distance.

Joseph Mallord William Turner, A boat near a buoyu in a rough sea, c.1830.
Private Collection. Photo © Fisheye Images

Interpretive notes accompanying the displays highlight Turner’s relationships with other significant artists of the period, whose watercolours — drawn from the Towner Collection — are showcased alongside his own. Their inclusion demonstrates the dynamism of the British watercolour movement during this era.

Among the key figures is John Robert Cozens (1752–1797), a British Romantic watercolourist whose atmospheric style greatly influenced the next generation, including Turner. By 1794, as Cozens’ health declined, his physician and patron Dr Thomas Monro employed young artists such as Thomas Girtin and Turner to copy Cozens’ compositions. Girtin sketched the outlines; Turner washed in the colour and effects. The two young artists, close in age and modest in background, became friends and even shared a studio, though their careers diverged — Turner advancing through the Royal Academy, while Girtin pursued a more commercial path under the tutelage of Edward Dayes (1763–1804). Girtin is often credited, alongside Turner, with transforming watercolour into a medium of grandeur and atmosphere. His Windsor Park and Castle (c. 1796–98), viewed from the Thames, is among the notable works represented.

The exhibition also includes works by Louis Thomas Francia (1772–1839), a French émigré who joined Girtin’s Sketching Society and, upon returning to Calais, tutored the prodigiously talented Richard Parkes Bonington (1802–1828). Other contemporaries represented include David Cox (1783–1859), known for fresh, spontaneous studies and loose, textural brushwork; Peter de Wint (1784–1849), celebrated for his warm, luminous English landscapes; and a strong line-up of later practitioners such as Amy Reeve-Fowkes (1896–1968), Alfred Rich (1856–1921), Albert Goodwin (1845–1932), Frank Dobson (1867–1963), Thomas Bush Hardy (1842–1897), Henry Hine (1811–1895), George Clarkson Stanfield (1828–1878) and Anthony Vandyke Copley Fielding (1787–1855).

From Sussex itself, the exhibition features Harold Swanwick (1866–1929), who settled in the village of Wilmington near Eastbourne and found inspiration in the South Downs and its farming communities. His works sit alongside local scenes from Eastbourne, Alfriston, Seaford and Brighton — images that will charm residents of the south coast.

Also represented is Charles Knight (1901–1990), who lived and worked in Brighton and played a key role in the artistic community of Ditchling. His watercolour style was shaped by John Sell Cotman (1782–1842) of the Norwich School, whose own works, including the highly prized Trees near the River Greta (1805), appear in the exhibition. Cotman’s simplified forms and muted harmonies anticipate modernist sensibilities.

Through this exceptional range of works, the exhibition traces Turner’s artistic development from a topographical draughtsman — producing precise architectural and landscape views, as was common in late 18th-century Britain — to a visionary experimenter. By the 1790s, he was already demonstrating remarkable technical skill, often depicting ruins, castles and sweeping landscapes influenced by picturesque and Romantic ideals. Throughout his career he filled dozens of sketchbooks with watercolour studies, many later serving as the basis for oil paintings. His watercolours of the 1820s and 1830s are widely regarded as his mature period, marked by atmospheric luminosity and techniques — thin washes, wet-on-wet blending, minimal outlines — that anticipated Impressionism. In his later years, his watercolours became increasingly abstract, helping fuel a vibrant British watercolour movement stretching across several generations.

“Impressions in Watercolour: J. M. W. Turner and His Contemporaries” is organised by the Holburne Museum in Bath, which this year published a book of the same name with Pallas Athene, featuring an extended essay by Turner scholar Ian Warrell - curator of the exhibition - examining the works and the artists who shaped Turner’s world.

Many of the pieces on display come from a private collection assembled by Sir Hickman Bacon (1855–1945), a baronet who acquired a remarkable number of Turner’s sketches, helping preserve some of the artist’s most intimate works for posterity.

Towner Eastbourne is hosting a number of events including panel discussions, tours and courses to enhance a deeper experience of the exhibition. 

Photos courtesy of Towner Eastbourne.