South East What's On
Contemporary Visions at Historic Dockyard Chatham
Join The Historic Dockyard Chatham this autumn as the largest display of original works by J.M.W. Turner ever shown at The Historic Dockyard Chatham will go on view, alongside the evocative paintings of Jake Wood-Evans.
This exhibition explores and re-contextualises the legacy of Britain’s most celebrated ‘painter of light’ through an exciting creative response by Wood-Evans.
Original Works by J.M.W. Turner
Visitors have a rare opportunity to view Turner’s Medway Sketchbook and Second Sketch for ‘The Battle of Trafalgar’, on loan from Tate, in the setting that inspired them.
The largest display of original works by J.M.W. Turner ever shown at The Historic Dockyard Chatham will go on view alongside the evocative paintings of Jake Wood-Evans, in a major new exhibition bridging 19th-century mastery with the contemporary art world.
In Turner’s Wake explores and re-contextualises the legacy of Britain’s most celebrated ‘painter of light’ through an exciting creative response by Wood-Evans, whose own contemporary oil paintings are presented in direct dialogue with Turner’s historic influence. Visitors will have a rare opportunity to view Turner’s Medway Sketchbook and his powerful oil painting, Second Sketch for ‘The Battle of Trafalgar’, presented alongside Wood-Evans’ large-scale contemporary canvases.
Bridging Past and Present
Jake Wood-Evans’ work revels in blurring the boundaries between representation and abstraction. Much like Turner’s radical late works, which laid the groundwork for the Impressionist movement, Wood-Evans conceives his paintings as ‘prisms of light.’
In this exhibition, you will see how Turner’s influence is alive today. Wood-Evans’ work plays with balancing obscurity and detail to alter the emotive atmosphere in his paintings, translating the energy of weather, water and the passage of time into luminous layers of paint.
A Connection to the Medway
Turner was fascinated by the Medway. He visited the Dockyard to sketch the very place where the Royal Navy’s legendary ships, including HMS VICTORY and HMS TEMERAIRE (the subject of his most famous work), were built. This exhibition brings that history full circle by presenting original Turner pieces, on loan from Tate, in the historic setting that inspired them.
Behind the Scenes
Beyond the finished canvases, In Turner’s Wake offers a unique glimpse into the creative process. Explore Jake’s personal sketchbooks, artist materials, and ephemera to get a glimpse of how a contemporary studio operates.
In Turner’s Wake: Contemporary Visions by Jake Wood-Evans is included in your Dockyard admission ticket.
Don’t Miss This Major New Exhibition:
🎨 In Turner’s Wake: Contemporary Visions by Jake Wood-Evans
📍 The Historic Dockyard Chatham
📅 19 September - 15 November 2026
🎟️ Included with your Dockyard ticket
