John Timberlake: Berwick Sequence

Saturday 7th March - Sunday 24th May 2026 | Wed - Sun, 11am - 4pm | The Granary Gallery, Berwick-upon-Tweed  TD15 1ES

A new exhibition by acclaimed British artist John Timberlake will open at The Granary Gallery this March, bringing a deeply personal and reflective body of work inspired by Berwick-upon-Tweed’s landscape, coastline and deep geological history.

Berwick Sequence presents a series of seven paintings created following Timberlake’s return to the town in 2024, a place he first visited as a child in the 1970s. The memory of Berwick, its coastal setting and the shifting character of the River Tweed made a lasting impression on the artist, drawing him back decades later at a moment of personal reflection following the death of his father.

During his return visits, Timberlake developed initial drawings, colour studies and photographic references that would form the basis of the paintings now shown in the exhibition. He also undertook site visits with Northumberland-based geologists and archaeologists, deepening his understanding of the landscape’s physical and historical layers.

The resulting works respond to the fleeting changes of light and weather that define the Tweed estuary, alongside the slower geological transformations visible in the surrounding landscape. Together, the paintings explore landscape not simply as a place, but as an accumulation of time, memory and experience.

The exhibition presents seven untitled paintings alongside two large-scale preparatory drawings, offering insight into Timberlake’s process. The works have intentionally been left without titles or numbering, allowing visitors to experience the sequence in any order. Recurring visual motifs encourage a rhythm of progression, pause and return, inviting viewers to reconsider how landscapes are seen and understood.

James Lowther, Head of Visual Arts at The Maltings, said:
“Berwick and the North Northumberland coast have inspired artists for generations, and Berwick Sequence continues that tradition through a contemporary perspective. John Timberlake’s paintings reflect both the deep history of the landscape and the personal experience of moving through it, inviting audiences to see this familiar place in new ways.”

Berwick Sequence continues The Maltings’ commitment to presenting contemporary visual art that connects national artists with the landscapes and stories of Berwick-upon-Tweed and the wider region.

The exhibition will be on display at The Granary Gallery from 7 March until 24 May 2026.

T: 01289 330999
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W: www.maltingsberwick.co.uk