Events Walthamstow

Major new exhibition to explore William Morris’ impact on popular culture

Opening in April at the William Morris Gallery, Morris Mania will show how his botanical patterns have been reproduced on everything from shower curtains, phone cases, to wallpaper and shoes

Dr Martens patterned with Morris’ Strawberry Thief design, Credit: William Morris Gallery

The William Morris Gallery will host a major new exhibition that illustrates the enduring impact of the designer on British culture.

Opening on 5th April, during the 75th anniversary year of the Walthamstow gallery, Morris Mania, will show how his botanical patterns have been reproduced on shower curtains, phone cases, on film and TV, wallpapers, and in shopping centres.

In the lead-up to the free exhibition, the gallery is launching a national appeal inviting the public to donate and lend their own Morris-patterned objects to go on display. Morris-patterned donations to date include chopsticks, a waving cat from Japan, hand embroidered wedding jackets, Wellington boots and an array of mugs and biscuit tins.

A Japanese waving cat with the Strawberry Thief design, Credit: William Morris Gallery

While alive, Morris argued that beautiful objects could only be created through a responsible and close relationship with the natural world and enjoyable, creative working conditions.

Meanwhile, objects from the gallery’s private and public international collections will include a ‘Rose’ patterned seat from the 1980s British Nuclear Submarine Fleet, ‘Willow’ pattern Nike trainers, and Loewe fashion inspired by Morris’s designs.

The exhibition will also feature Wallpaper, a newly-commissioned work by archive documentary filmmaker Natalie Cubides-Brady, exploring how William Morris’s designs have been used in screen history.

His designs have featured in everything from My Fair Lady, Sunday Bloody Sunday and Django Unchained, to Gogglebox, Coronation Street and Peep Show.

The exhibition will open on 5th April and run until 21st September, find out more here


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