Exhibition in the Yorkshire Dales' core displays art influenced by the surrounding natural landscapes
In the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, nestled above Lake Semerwater in Raydale, designer Jonathan Reed and artist Graeme Black have breathed new life into an old cattle shed, transforming it into the contemporary Thorns Gallery.
The project, a harmonious blend of art, design, and heritage conservation, was born from a shared vision to create a cultural space deeply rooted in its environment and local ecology. The transformed gallery, opened by appointment only, is currently hosting the 'From Nature' exhibition, which runs until 14 September.
Graeme Black, a former international fashion designer for brands like Armani and Ferragamo, has shifted his focus to creating artworks inspired by the local forests and trees. His large-scale handwoven tapestries, crafted in collaboration with the Stephen's Tapestry Studio in South Africa, are a central feature of the exhibition.
The gallery's inaugural exhibition also showcases sculptural furniture by Simon Gaiger, made from raw timber and steel, and ceramics by Janet Leach, dating from the 1960s and 1970s. Gaiger's pieces, named after mythical creatures like the 'Pwca' table, are influenced by his childhood in Uganda, Sudan, and the Pacific, as well as his time spent working as a shipwright's assistant.
The gallery's construction respects the local vernacular and the strict rules that come with building in a protected area. The majority of the gallery was reconstructed using the salvaged remains of the original cattle shed, creating a seamless fusion of the old and the new.
Other pieces on show include 'Angular Unconformity', 'Ystrad', made from burr oak and Douglas fir, and 'Trig', a three-legged console. Notable among Black's tapestries is 'Bosco Blue II', created by enlarging sections of a black and white painting and recolouring them with blue tones and light gray rays.
The transformation of the old cattle shed into Thorns Gallery is just the beginning of a new chapter in the Yorkshire Dales, where art and nature coexist in a harmonious union.
[1] For the three-year project, Black traveled to South Africa to work with Stephen's Tapestry Studio to create the tapestries. Black's tapestries will be on view at Howe + Woven Place from 2-18 October 2025, and Janet Leach's pottery will be exhibited at Willoughby Gerrish from 5-19 December 2025. The 'Cradle - Artefact' table, inspired by museum displays, is shaped like a boomerang.
The Thorns Gallery, with its unique blend of art and heritage conservation, evokes a distinctive home-and-garden lifestyle that seamlessly fuses within the natural environment of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. In the future, Graeme Black's tapestries, crafted in collaboration with Stephen's Tapestry Studio in South Africa, will be displayed at Howe + Woven Place from October 2025, extending the gallery's influence beyond its physical location.
