Untitled
Acrylic on card, 1961
52 x 40.1cm

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham (1912 - 2004)

Born in St. Andrews Wilhelmina Barns Graham attended Edinburgh College of Art, 1931 - 37. In 1940 she moved to St. Ives where she joined the Newlyn School and The St. Ives Society, becoming a founder member of the Penwith Society in 1949. During this period she became friends with Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, and Naum Gabo, becoming one of the foremost painters working in St Ives alongside Patrick Heron, Terry Frost and Roger Hilton. Between 1956 - 57 she taught at Leeds College of Art. From 1960 she divided her time between her homes in St. Ives and St. Andrews, affirming herself as much a Scottish as Cornish artist. She was completely dedicated to her art, with a drive and energy that sustained her for over sixty years.

She exhibited regularly with galleries throughout the UK, from the Downing Gallery in St Ives to the Pier Arts Centre in Stromness, Orkney. The first major retrospective exhibition of her work was the 1989-90 touring exhibition W. Barns-Graham Retrospective 1940-1989 from City Art Centre, Edinburgh travelling to Newlyn Art Gallery, Penzance. Her work is to be found in all major public collections in the UK including the Tate Gallery, Arts Council and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art

A major exhibition celebrating the centenary of her birth will be held at 108 Fine Art, Harrogate from 20th April - 2nd June 2012.

A selection of paintings by Wilhelmina Barns-Grahams can be viewed at 108 Fine Art, Harrogate until 30th January 2012.

Untitled
Oil on canvas, circa 1955
40.5 x 50.7cm

Untitled (Strung Forms)
Oil on canvas, circa 1956
38 x 61cm

Untitled
Oil on canvas, circa 1960
40.5 x 50.7cm

Tumbling Squares
Oil on canvas,
35.5 x 30.5cm

Grey Form on Blue
Gouache on paper, 1954
32.2 x 52cm

Scorpio Series 2, No.15.
Acrylic on paper, 1996
56.5 x 76cm

Untitled
Mixed media on card, 1995
19.1 x 25.8cm

October Ground Swell
Mixed media on card, 1995
19.4 x 25.8cm

Untitled
Acrylic on card, 2003
25.3 x 22.9cm