About

Image Credits: Photo by David Edwards.

Drawing the Unspeakable explores the universal language of drawing – a medium that renowned broadcaster David Dimbleby and his daughter, the artist and writer Liza Dimbleby, have long recognised as a powerful tool for expressing the inexpressible. For both father and daughter, drawing transcends the limitations of words, offering a means to convey the most complex ideas and emotions. This exhibition highlights their shared belief in the power of art to communicate experiences that words cannot fully capture.

Featuring over 200 works, Drawing the Unspeakable is an in-depth exploration of human experience through art. The exhibition brings together a diverse array of pieces that challenge the boundaries of speech, translating the unspeakable into the visual realm. Through these drawings, artists navigate themes of disaster, war, displacement and destruction, mental and physical illness, loss, grief, birth and family, dreams, memories, and imagination.

This significant exhibition draws on a wealth of important collections, including our own Towner Collection, the British Museum, Bethlem Museum of the Mind, Pallant House, and Ben Uri Gallery and Museum. Visitors will encounter works by artists such as David Bomberg, Louise Bourgeois, Edward Burra, Prunella Clough, Elisabeth Frink, Madge Gill, James Gillray, Barbara Hepworth, Roger Hilton, David Hockney, Ken Kiff, Leon Kossoff, L.S. Lowry, Alice Neel, and Paula Rego. These are exhibited alongside contemporary voices in art, including Tracey Emin, Kara Walker, Andrzej Jackowski, Denzil Forrester, Emma Talbot, Ansel Krut, John Davies and Emma Woffenden.

At the heart of this exhibition lies a unique and thoughtful dialogue between David and Liza. This exchange, presented from their distinct perspectives as journalist and artist, as well as father and daughter, provides deep insights into their curatorial choices and reveals the nuanced dynamics of familial relationships. The dialogue will be available in printed form in the gallery. Through their conversation, visitors will gain a greater understanding of the exhibition's themes and the personal significance of the selected artworks.

Drawing the Unspeakable serves as a testament to the enduring power of art to communicate the incommunicable and to the lifelong dialogue between David and Liza – one that transcends words and is rooted in the universal language of drawing.

As a fitting conclusion to his remarkable decade-long tenure as Towner's Chair, David Dimbleby steps down from his role, leaving behind a legacy defined by vision and passion for the arts. This exhibition, curated with his daughter, reflects his commitment to fostering meaningful artistic experiences and celebrates the profound connections forged through art.