From Plymouth to the Present: Beryl Cook’s Legacy Reimagined at KARST
KARST, Plymouth | 24 January – 18 April 2026
Discord & Harmony is a major group exhibition at KARST, bringing together an international group of contemporary artists whose work shares a spirit of generosity, humour and social attentiveness with the much-loved Plymouth-based painter Beryl Cook.
Running from 24 January to 18 April 2026, the exhibition explores everyday life as something worthy of serious, celebratory attention. Beryl Cook, who lived and worked in Plymouth for much of her life, became one of Britain’s most recognisable and popular artists through her exuberant depictions of people at work, play and leisure. Her paintings captured moments of joy, awkwardness and intimacy with warmth and empathy, even as her work was long overlooked by the traditional art establishment.
Ode (pool painting) (2020), Olivia Sterling
Presented concurrently with The Box’s centenary exhibition Beryl Cook: Pride and Joy, Discord & Harmony considers Cook’s influence on artists working today. Rather than focusing on direct visual similarities, the exhibition highlights shared values: an openness of address, a commitment to representing lived experience, and a belief that humour and pleasure can coexist with serious social reflection.
The exhibition brings together work by Eric Bainbridge, Flo Brooks, Beryl Cook, Rhys Coren, Anthea Hamilton, Emma Hart, Mark Leckey, Patrizio di Massimo, Emily Pope, Lucy Stein and Olivia Sterling. Spanning painting, sculpture, video and installation, the works on display reflect on themes including working-class identity, body-positivity, queer visibility, family life and community. While the artists’ approaches are diverse, they are united by a concern for people and experiences often overlooked by canonical art history.
If I Only Ever (Shape Painting) (2022), Rhys Coren
The title Discord & Harmony is drawn from Margaret Thatcher’s acceptance speech following the 1979 general election, which ushered in a period of profound social and economic change in Britain. The years that followed saw new forms of social mobility and consumer aspiration open up opportunities for some, while the dismantling of social and industrial infrastructure left many communities marginalised and stigmatised. Many of the artists in the exhibition either grew up during the Thatcher years of the 1980s and 1990s, or were born into the Britain shaped by their legacy.
Within this context, Beryl Cook’s paintings can be seen as quietly radical. At a time of increasing division, her work affirmed a giddy sense of abundance and connection, portraying nightlife, friendship, intimacy and collective pleasure with deep empathy. Discord & Harmony reflects on these same contradictions, holding a mirror up to a Britain in which the reverberations of that era continue to shape daily life.
Curated by KARST’s Head of Programme Ben Borthwick, the exhibition invites audiences to experience the works without judgement. Rather than positioning art as something distant or exclusive, Discord & Harmony emphasises accessibility, emotional connection and shared experience. Moments of music, dance, ritual, friendship and family sit alongside reflections on class, power and belonging, echoing Cook’s belief that joy itself is a meaningful subject.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to take part in Curator’s Tours with Ben Borthwick on 30 January, 6 March and 17 April (1–2pm), offering deeper insight into the ideas behind the exhibition and the connections between the artists’ work.
Supported by The Box, Plymouth, Discord & Harmony offers a timely and resonant exploration of art, community and everyday life — celebrating Beryl Cook’s enduring influence while showcasing how contemporary artists continue to find meaning, humour and solidarity in the ordinary.
