Derrick Greaves: Art Worlds

Derrick Greaves (1927 – 2022) grew up in Sheffield and his early experiences here had a significant impact on the development of his painting. This new exhibition at the Graves Gallery is the first retrospective of his work since his death, bringing together a selection of paintings, drawings and sketchbooks from a career spanning eight decades.

Derrick Greaves is one of the most acclaimed British painters of the last half century. He initially gained recognition in the 1950s, when he represented Britain at the Venice Biennale along with the other 'Kitchen-Sink' painters with whom he was associated. His work has developed from the social realism of the 1950s to a more heraldic style that paralleled 1960s Pop Art, from an imagery based on nature and observable fact to more studio-bound imaginative constructs

Art Worlds explores the sources of inspiration in Greaves’ work and presents 20 paintings made between 1942 and 2021, alongside drawings, photographs and more. Curated in collaboration with James Hyman and the artist’s estate, the exhibition is structured around four themes – Home Life, The World of the Studio, The Art of the Past and The Natural World.