Opening at Watts Gallery on 21 May (until 10 January 2027), The Art of Wallpaper: Morris & Co. is a special opportunity to see original 19th century samples of iconic wallpaper designed by William Morris (1834-1896) and his circle that revolutionised interior design.

From much-loved favourites including Pimpernel (1876) and Golden Lily (1899) to rarer designs, the exhibition presents more than 30 original wallpapers from the archive of Morris & Co., the company established by William Morris in 1861 and the cornerstone of the Arts and Crafts Movement.

Originally curated by wallpaper and textile historian Mary Schoeser, the exhibition traces the history of Morris & Co., and explores William Morris’s influences, his creative directions and his enduring legacy – that will be seen in a new film by artist Freddie Yauner and a new wallpaper design by artist-researcher Louise Atkinson.

Coinciding with The Art of Wallpaper, visitors to Watts Gallery will discover more about the Arts and Crafts legacy of the Gallery’s co-founder, Mary Watts (1849-1938), whose Chapel and Pottery embody Arts and Crafts ideals; and of her husband and co-founder, George Frederic Watts (1817-1904) -whose celebrated portrait of William Morris (1870), on loan from the National Portrait Gallery, will be displayed in the exhibition.

William Morris was a revolutionary designer, craftsman, writer, social activist and conservationist who, as a key founder and central figure of the Arts and Crafts Movement, introduced a new and instantly recognisable visual aesthetic into British interiors. Morris pioneered a new approach to design and manufacture, championing hand craftsmanship during a time in British history when industrial mass-production was at its peak.

Founded in April 1861 as Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co and together with artists Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898), Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882) and Ford Madox Brown (1821-1893), Morris set out to revive the art of hand-making items for the home.

Along with stained glass, carpets and metalwork, the company started producing repeating patterns for wallpaper, and in this exhibition are original samples of early designs including Trellis (1864), the company’s first wallpaper design, and Daisy (1864), the first wallpaper they produced.

In 1875, the company rebranded as Morris & Co., and over the next twenty years, Morris expanded the business, opening an Oxford Street shop and showroom in 1877, a shop in Manchester, and appointing agents across Europe, Australia, Canada and The United States.

It was during this period that a number of Morris’s most famous designs appeared, including Pimpernel (1876) and Willow Boughs (1887).

The Art of Wallpaper features classic Morris & Co. designs from other notable designers including May Morris, daughter of William Morris who, in 1885 at the age of just 23, was appointed manageress of the embroidery department at Morris & Co.. May ran the studio for 12 years and designed many of the patterns known today including Honeysuckle (1883). Following Morris’s death in 1896, his protégé John Henry Dearle, former shop assistant-turned-tapestry apprentice and designer, took over as creative director to continue the company’s design legacy and several of his designs including Golden Lily (1899) will feature in the exhibition.

In 1940 Morris & Co. was acquired by Arthur Sanderson & Sons Ltd, where it continues to thrive. The Art of Wallpaper: Morris & Co. is presented in partnership with Sanderson Design Group Archive and Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh. Originally curated by Mary Schoeser, the exhibition has been adapted and curated for Watts Gallery by Corinna Henderson.

Accompanying the exhibition are a series of special events and complementary exhibitions including Beyond Strawberry Thief at Watts Contemporary Gallery (2 July – 30 August) presenting nature paintings and prints by Rosalinda Kightley and stained glass by members of the British Society of Master Glass Painters.

Corinna Henderson, Exhibitions Curator, Watts Gallery, said: ‘Rather than presenting Morris in isolation, this exhibition traces a broader story, beginning with the earlier decorative traditions that influenced him, and moving through the collaborative practice of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. and later Morris & Co.. Our approach at Watts has been to situate this work within a wider artistic and social context, drawing out connections with G F Watts and Mary Seton Watts and their shared commitment to art as a vehicle for social and cultural change.’

Claire Vallis, Design Director, Sanderson Design Group, said: ‘We are thrilled to continue the tour of The Art of Wallpaper exhibition, originally curated by Mary Schoeser, which delves into our rich archive at Sanderson Design Group. Morris & Co. was central to the Arts and Crafts movement, a legacy that continues to resonate today, so we’re excited to be supporting this wonderful exhibition. By displaying Morris & Co. alongside G F Watts and Mary Seton Watts, The Art of Wallpaper explores this legacy anew through its artistic contemporaries, tracing the traditions that shaped Morris & Co.’s distinctive style and collaborative ethos.’

Notes to Editors

Watts Gallery

Watts Gallery was established in 1904 by artist-couple George Frederic Watts and Mary Seton Watts. Following G F Watts’s death later that year Mary Seton Watts went on to found Watts Gallery Trust, the charity responsible for the preservations of the buildings and collections established by the couple and to encourage engagement with art, its history and practice, for the benefit of the public.

G F Watts OM RA (1817-1904) was widely considered to be one of the greatest painters of the Victorian age. He became the first living artist to have a solo exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the artist’s ‘gift to the Nation’ made a significant contribution to the founding collections of Tate Britain and the National Portrait Gallery.

Mary Watts (1848-1939) was an artist, designer, writer, businesswoman and philanthropist. Her art supported and inspired the people around her, involving local communities in her projects. She was the creative powerhouse behind two significant enterprises: the Watts Chapel and the Compton Potters’ Arts Guild.

Today, Watts Gallery continues George and Mary Watts's legacy of Art for all by all. This vision to make art accessible to everyone is realised through a dynamic and multi-sensory programme of creativity, exhibitions, contemporary art projects and community engagement.

Morris & Co. and Sanderson Design Group

As a political theorist, publisher, environmental campaigner, poet, and outstanding designer, William Morris (1834–1896) was one of the single most influential figures of the nineteenth century, founding Morris & Co. (originally Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co.) in 1861. Under his direction, the company grew into a flourishing and fashionable Arts & Crafts decorating business renowned for wallpapers and textiles, becoming part of Sanderson & Sons in 1940. Today, the Sanderson Design Group builds on that proud heritage with the inventive reimagining of Morris & Co. classics, ever upholding the impeccable standard of craftsmanship that has defined all Morris & Co. products since inception. Guided by the creative intuition of William Morris, designs are inspired by treasures in the Morris & Co. archive, which houses historical logbooks, samples of each wallpaper, printed and woven textiles and original wooden printing blocks. With the ability to faithfully transform a space into an Arts & Crafts haven through evocation of the glorious drama and wonderment in nature, the authentic archival documents and designs of Morris & Co. continue to inspire interest and insatiable demand to this day.

Freddie Yauner

Freddie Yauner is an artist whose work explores how the human drive for continual growth has impacted people and the planet. He makes work that celebrates nature, unpicks ideas of progress and explores the cognitive dissonance needed to be a human alive today. Each year he undertakes his Morris Quarter spending the first 3 months of each year ‘becoming’ William Morris.

Commissioned by Watts Gallery, Freddie Yauner’s film reimagines William Morris sitting for his portrait by G F Watts. Appearing as Morris, Yauner explores the tension between the stillness required of portraiture and the restless, active mind of the writer-designer-political thinker. Moments of distraction give way to song, suggesting the pull of Morris’s wider concerns, particularly his commitment to social change and alternative ways of living, as articulated in his novel News from Nowhere (1890). A second visual strand introduces imagery from the gardens at Watts Gallery, offering a shifting, sensory counterpart to the act of sitting. Natural forms that informed Morris’s designs are foregrounded, revealing how close observation of the natural world shaped his approach to pattern.

Louise Atkinson

Dr Louise Atkinson is a visual artist, researcher, and facilitator whose practice sits at the intersection of contemporary art, visual culture, and ethnography. Dr Atkinson completed her practice-based PhD in Fine Art in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies at the University of Leeds in 2016 and she currently holds a position as Visiting Research Fellow in the same department.

Artist-researcher Louise Atkinson has produced a new wallpaper design, Heterotopia, exploring Arts and Crafts conceptions of utopia through the intertwined yet distinct practices of May Morris and Mary Watts. Drawing on Morris’s socialist belief in dignified labour and everyday beauty, and Watts’s spiritually‑infused Symbolism, the repeat pattern considers how female Victorian artists and designers imagined a better world.

Watts Contemporary Gallery

Watts Contemporary Gallery showcases a wide range of contemporary artists making painting, prints, ceramics, sculpture and craft. All works are for sale and help support Watts Gallery Trust’s Art for All programme.

The dynamic, curated exhibitions support local, new and emerging artists and craftspeople along with established artists of national and international merit. All artists invited to exhibit resonate with the heritage of Watts Gallery’s unique Arts & Crafts site, and often reflect the approach of George and Mary Watts, who pushed the boundaries of fine art, craft and design.

Previous featured artists include: Norman Ackroyd RA, Angie Lewin, Alexander Creswell, Anita Klein RE, and prominent Surrey artists including Celia Lewis, Diana Croft, Yeside Linney, Grace Ellen and Jennifer Jokhoo.