Williamson Art Gallery

Philip Wilson Steer: In Conversation
2025-02-12 10:00 - 2026-01-17 17:00 UTC | Williamson Art Gallery, Slatey Rd, Oxton, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH43 4UE, United Kingdom
Born in Birkenhead, Philip Wilson Steer was a pioneer of impressionism in Britain during the late nineteenth century. Studying in Paris in the 1880s, he was exposed to this radical way of painting after seeing works by the likes of Degas and Manet. With his loose approach to painting and depictions of scenes that were seen as indecent for the time, Steer was widely ridiculed on his return to London, but eventually gained acclaim and prestige with the increasing influence of the New English Art Club and his teaching post at the Slade School of Art. Later in his career, Steer was inspired by masters of English landscape painting, such as Constable and Turner, with examples of these works being found in the exhibition.
As well as showcasing the Williamson’s collection of Steer, this exhibition will bring his work into conversation with both his contemporaries and local artists who followed in his footsteps. This will showcase his personal approach to colour and painting, but will also show the limitations of his radicalism, largely through his approach to depicting women.
The Williamson’s collection of works by Steer has long been considered a highlight of our collections, which we are delighted to be able to display a significant number of in this exhibition.

EVENTS:
Curator talks on Albert Richards & Philip Wilson Steer – dates throughout 2025
Info & Booking

Albert Richards
2025-02-12 10:00 - 2026-01-31 17:00
March 2025 marked 80 years since the passing of Albert Richards, the youngest official war artist to be killed in action during WWII. The Williamson holds over two hundred of his works, spanning from his days at the Wallasey School of Art to the frontlines of France in 1944. These works show the incredible talent that Richards possessed, and his influences, from surrealism to Art Deco.
As well as displaying works by artists that inspired him and worked alongside him, such as Stanley Spencer and George Jardine, this exhibition will commemorate his life as a soldier, in which he served a key role in the D-Day landings. This incredible personal narrative, mixed with his unique style of painting, makes him one of the biggest “what ifs?” in twentieth century British art.
EVENTS:
Curator talks on Albert Richards & Philip Wilson Steer – dates throughout 2025
Info & Booking

Subterranean Elevator
2025-02-14 10:00 - 2026-01-10 17:00
Subterranean Elevator has been conceived by artist Di Mainstone, and developed with a team of inter-disciplinary specialists. The installation invites intrepid visitors to explore the inner worlds of soil and the subconscious mind. On entering a dark, elevator-shaped environment, they will feel a soft earth-like substance beneath their feet, where they can stand, sit, or nestle. As the elevator commences its ‘descent’, subterranean tourists will experience mesmerising sounds and projected visuals, creating the sensation of sinking deep into the earth.
Mainstone has coined the term “Subnosis” to describe this hypnotic journey, in which surreal subterranean creatures flourish amongst fleeting thoughts, tickled by roots and intersected by neural pathways that lead us into an interior universe. In this place of collective contemplation, we are invited to remember our connection to all living and nonliving things here on our precious planet.
The artwork aims to deepen our understanding of biodiversity loss and engage with the emotional landscape of the climate emergency.
How to Experience Subterranean Elevator
Please allow for your eye to adjust to a darker space when entering the space, moving slowly and with caution.
Shoes are to be removed before entering the sand box.
If you are entering the sand box, please use the spaces below the benches to store belongings.
There are steps at the side of the sand box to enter and exit.
Children must be supervised at all times in the space and sandbox.
Do not throw sand.

Elizabeth Smolen: Trailblazer
2025-02-21 10:00 - 2025-10-18 17:00
NOW CLOSING 18TH OCTOBER 2025
Discover the life of local legend Elizabeth Smolen, a Polish refugee who settled in Birkenhead and became a champion scooter racer and successful businesswoman.
A keen motorcyclist and engineer, Smolen made a name for herself by repairing, dealing and racing scooters and became part of Wirral’s scooter scene. Elizabeth Smolen: Trailblazer explores Smolen’s early life against the backdrop of Soviet Poland, and how her daring escape to England allowed her to make a new home in Wirral.
Objects from Smolen’s life, including two Vespa scooters, will be on display, alongside information about Smolen’s rich life, and stories from those who remember her.
The exhibition also explores the broader Wirral scooter scene, featuring photos and memorabilia from Birkenhead-based Cloud 9 Scooter Club.
Produced in collaboration with Big Heritage.

Ben Youdan 'Mask'
2025-06-05 10:00 - 2025-09-13 17:00
As part of a series of interventions in our Philip Wilson Steer ‘In Conversation’ exhibition, the Williamson has invited the Liverpool artist, Ben Youdan, to feature a work that contrasts and explores the themes found within Steer’s work.
Youdan’s practice employs a wide variety of techniques and processes including collage, drawing, painting, printmaking and photography, to create imagery that takes inspiration from the iconography and ephemera of popular culture as well as his lived experience. His pieces explore themes such as identity, glamour and sexuality in an unapologetically Queer fashion.

EVENT: On Friday 22nd August at 1pm join Ben Youdan in conversation to find our more about his practice and process. Free, but booking recommended.
Book Now

In Youdan’s own words:
“As an artist, I am interested in exploring the notion that the masks we wear can reveal something intrinsic to our nature. These masks can be physical or psychological. The anonymity of concealing our physical appearance can have a liberating effect, that emboldens the individual to explore their true nature. This inherent contradiction is particularly prevalent within queer sexual subcultures.
Steer’s work is often seen as voyeuristic, whereas mine revels in a more exhibitionist nature, born out of lived experience.
Whilst Steer’s work has a muted, naturalistic colour palette, my work revels in its own artifice. The colours selected are deliberately synthetic, clashing, and even gaudy, but with a self-awareness and exuberance that reflects the unapologetic nature of the subject. In many ways this work is the polar opposite of the muted tones and perceived repression found within some of Steer’s work in this exhibition.
In traditional portraiture, the eyes are typically what the viewer engages with, setting the mood for the piece and revealing a vulnerability in the subject. With ‘Mask’, the eyes are deliberately obscured, presenting my subject in a way that is vulnerable, honest and open in a way that protects them, allowing them to remain indifferent to the judgement they might receive. Where Steer’s subjects are laid bare in a passive, open manner, mine retains their agency and power by presenting an authentic version of themselves and their sexuality – on their terms.
The image of the gas mask can be interpreted in a variety of ways. In this specific intervention it is a device used in sexual role-play in a variety of fetish subcultures which deviate from the mainstream. It often denotes a submissive person who has elected to give themselves over completely to the gratification of a dominant partner. To a mainstream observer, this can often have darker connotations. This piece aims to subvert that presumption. Instead of black shiny rubber, it is presented in pink shiny glitter, challenging preconceived notions of alternative sexual expression.
My complex, handmade, mixed media portraits take inspiration from my lived experience of pop culture, the ephemera of daily life and queer subcultures.”
Part of Independents Biennial 2025

Philip Wilson Steer: In Conversation
Ben Youdan’s website

Artist A & Artist B: The Long Haul
2025-07-09 10:00 - 2025-09-13 17:00
‘The Long Haul’ is an installation by Jackie Haynes and Heather Mullender-Ross, collectively named Artist A & Artist B. The installation has been commissioned by Wirral Council as part of Liverpool Independent’s Biennial 2025.
The net which hangs in the central space is constructed from a decommissioned cargo parachute and is one of a number of evolving artworks and performances created using this fabric. The audio is a recording of two songs based on traditional sea shanties, arranged and performed by Liverpool Shanty Choir with lyrics by Artist A & Artist B, which will be released as a limited edition 7” single.
‘What Were They Thinking’ is a shanty telling the story of Artist A & Artist B’s artwork. From their purchase of a cargo parachute on Ebay, the song narrates how the parachute became a site responsive artwork; it was cut down and made into blankets to host a public picnic, constructed as table cloths, tent dresses and a tennis court for a Dada-esque performance. In the second shanty, ‘Haul The Old Parachute Along’, Artist A & Artist B use collective protesting through the shanty verse to highlight the often precarious pay and conditions endured by many contemporary artists.
Event: On 13th September there will be a closing event featuring a live performance at the Williamson with Liverpool Shanty Choir, a screening of their film ‘The Surplus Badge’ (2023), and the opportunity to purchase the limited edition single.
Free Tickets to Liverpool Shanty Choir performance
Independents Biennial 2025
Photo credit: Ash Hardman.

I'll Tell You Later: BSL Happy Snappers and Emma Case
2025-07-16 10:00 - 2025-11-01 17:00
NOW EXTENDED TO 1ST NOVEMBER
An inspiring exhibition showcasing the work of the Happy Snappers, a Wirral-based photography group made up of both Deaf and BSL users.
I’ll Tell You Later explores the relationship between the Deaf experience and the hearing world. It sheds light on the barriers D/deaf individuals face, while showing the Happy Snappers as a powerful example of how inclusive, supportive communities can break down these obstacles. Through their work, the group highlights the importance of creating a more inclusive society that benefits everyone.
This exhibition is an opportunity to engage in meaningful conversation through the lens of photography.
Happy Snappers are a group of friends who are both Deaf and BSL users. They get together and enjoy life outside and explore some of the Wirral’s hidden locations and beautiful scenery, and capture these locations on camera. They are not a professional photography group but share the same love of meeting people, socialising and having fun.
Emma Case is a socially engaged photographer working with local communities focusing on projects that often explore home, identity, memory and place. Emma is interested in building real relationships over time and working collectively, often looking at social issues and their impact but through the lens of changing the narrative through storytelling. Emma is fluent in British Sign Language and has worked with the Deaf community for over 20 years; from support worker with SignHealth to Actress with Deafinitely Theatre. Emma is extremely passionate about accessibility for Deaf audiences and artists within cultural spaces.
I’ll Tell You Later is part of Photo Here, a programme of socially engaged photographic residencies and exhibitions commissioned by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority as part of this year’s Cultural Events Programme. Developed by Open Eye Gallery in collaboration with each of six local authorities: Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral.

Broken Grey Wires: Who Wants Flowers When They Are Dead?
2025-07-25 10:00 - 2025-09-13 17:00
WHO WANTS FLOWERS WHEN THEY ARE DEAD? is a new exhibition by Broken Grey Wires, exploring grief, loss, identity and community.
‘My dad died five years ago, which was a huge shock that I am still suffering with now. Grief is something that I am confused and frustrated by, it is a soul destroying emotion. The drawing on the poster is of my dad, I drew this when I was about 7 years old.’ (Lizz Brady)
The exhibition will offer a space to reflect, connect, and begin processing experiences of loss. It invites audiences to think openly, share their stories, and engage in honest conversations about grief and healing.
As part of the exhibition, a newly designed Comfort Zone space will be introduced in the gallery, along with fresh toolkits to support exploration and dialogue.
Confirmed artists:
Marcelina Amelia
Jacqui Barrowcliffe
Lizz Brady
Candy Chang
Antony Connelly
Harri Harrison
Chris Jones
Jasleen Kaur
Gurinder Kumar
Jess Loveday
Mercedes Lucy
Ana Mendieta
Zayd Menk
Amy Mizrahi
Sophie New
Dolly Sen
Emily Simpson
EVENT Preserving Ghosts: A Workshop About Picking & Grief. Saturday 06 September, 1pm
Book Now

About Broken Grey Wires:
At Broken Grey Wires (BGW) their mission is to create ambitious and inclusive projects where artists with mental health challenges and/or neurodivergent individuals are empowered through creative opportunities.
Their unique approach stems from their leadership, which includes individuals with lived experiences of mental health challenges, disability and neurodivergence—ensuring that radical empathy and authenticity drive their work. Over the years, they have curated ground-breaking visual art exhibitions that push the boundaries of communication, depicting the nuanced experiences of mental health in ways that resonate deeply with audiences and participants alike.
By continuously engaging with their audiences, they encourage people to dismantle the stigma around mental illness, allowing individuals to embrace their identities and manage their mental health with confidence, autonomy and encouragement
Part of Independents Biennial 2025
Independents Biennial 2025

Image © Candy Chang, photo by Ahmed Alameri
