Through her pioneering work at the forefront of British abstraction, this exhibition, the first in the UK in seven years, presents a picture of the entire range of her practice through more than 120 works, covering paintings, drawings, furniture, ceramics, designs for murals, advertising and book covers.

Born in London in 1879, Vanessa Bell died in Sussex in 1961 and along with her sister Virginia Woolf, and fellow painter, Duncan Grant, she was a central figure of the Bloomsbury Group.
Her role in creating the conditions in which artistic practice could flourish from the Friday Club to Omega Workshop, has left an indelible mark on the history of British art.

MK Gallery’s exhibition has been organised in collaboration with Charleston, in Sussex, the home of Vanessa Bell and her fellow painter, Duncan Grant. It is curated by Anthony Spira, Director, and Fay Blanchard, Head of Exhibitions at MK Gallery.

The exhibition includes major loans from public and private collections including the Courtauld, which is currently showing a focused display of her works from their collection.

A lavishly illustrated new catalogue will be published to coincide with the exhibition with an essay by Dr. Rebecca Birrell, Research Afliate for The Fitzwilliam Museum, and contributions from Judy Chicago, the Singh Twins, Paulina Olowska and Hayley Tompkins.

Vanessa Bell: A World of Form and Colour is generously supported by the Jerwood Foundation