For the first time, original works by J.M.W. Turner will be on display at The Historic Dockyard Chatham alongside the evocative paintings of Jake Wood-Evans, in a major new exhibition that bridges the gap between the 19th century and 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 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’, alongside large-scale contemporary works.
Image: ‘Second Sketch’ for ‘The Battle of Trafalgar’, Joseph Mallord William Turner, c.1823
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.
Image: Artist Jake Wood-Evans
Turner was fascinated by the Medway. He regularly 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 national collections, including Tate, in the historic setting that inspired them.
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.
Image: In Turner’s Wake: Contemporary Visions by Jake Wood-Evans Ships in a Breeze, Part II, after Turner | 200x155cm | Oil on linen | 2026
In Turner’s Wake: Contemporary Visions by Jake Wood-Evans is included in your Dockyard admission ticket.
Address
In Turner’s Wake: Contemporary Visions by Jake Wood-Evans The Historic Dockyard Chatham, ME4 4TZ
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