We're delighted to present an exhibition in our main gallery of paintings and prints by Rigby Graham (1931-2015). This will be the first major exhibition of his work since his death 5 years ago.'Irascible painter whose idiosyncratic landscapes are among the 20th century's best.' - The Sunday Times. 'He is a real graphics man, and that would nail him down and mark him out, were he not such a good landscape painter and draughtsman, too.' - John Piper. We hope to be open by appointment and will also be filming Mike Goldmark presenting an exhibition walk-through for anyone who can't visit us...

READ MORE >

Principally a topographic artist, Rigby Graham was born in Stretford in 1931. He moved to Leicester in his early childhood where he attended Leicester College of Art, specialising in mural painting. After teaching at local schools Graham returned to lecture at the College of Art, firstly in Graphic Design and Printing, then in Education and latterly in Bookbinding. He retired from teaching in 1983. His work is influenced by Neo-Romantics but in his colour he owes much to German Expressionism and he is considered one of the most important landscape painters of the late 20th century. The archive of his work, now at Manchester Metropolitan University, is a central resource for the study of landscape painting, lithographic and wood-cut printing, book illustration and production and private presses. Rigby died in May 2015 after a long illness.