Joy Gregory: The Sweetest Thing
Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
When: 29 January 2022 to 05 June 2022
Time: 10:00 - 17:00
Suitable for: Any age
Acclaimed artist Joy Gregory has created new work in response to themes and ideas explored in RAMM's In Plain Sight exhibition. This new commission consists of Gregory's first textile work, a series of photographs and a video. 'The Sweetest Thing' refers directly to the Combesatchfield embroidery on display in the exhibition.
Describing the inspiration for making the work, Gregory says:
“How black people are treated now stems from the history explored in this exhibition. It is a deeply troubling and uncomfortable history. This new work talks to the trade of unrefined sugar and refined sugar, by presenting it in a way that people take responsibility and understand the relationship between themselves and history.
"I’m interested in the stark contrast of the lives lived in the grand houses in Devon – all daintiness, pretty dresses and sitting down to tea – compared to the lives of the enslaved or the factory workers. I see my job as an artist to create curiosity and bring histories together. I am making things of beauty to talk about ugliness.”
Exhibitions & Projects
-
Beryl Cook: Pride and Joy
The Box, Plymouth
24 January 2026 to 31 May 2026
-
Journeys with Mai
The Box, Plymouth
14 February 2026 to 14 June 2026
-
Documentary Photography Open 2026
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon
25 April 2026 to 20 June 2026
-
The Art of Resurgence: Celebrating 60 Years of Resurgence
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon
23 May 2026 to 18 July 2026
-
What We Keep: The Art of Collecting
The Burton at Bideford
11 May 2026 to 19 July 2026
-
Colour
Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
23 May 2026 to 06 September 2026
-
The Polish Navy in Devonport 1939 45
Devonport Naval Heritage Centre
15 May 2026 to 28 October 2026
-
History off the Hanger
Killerton House
14 February 2026 to 01 November 2026
-
Stored Secrets
Castle Drogo
27 March 2026 to 01 November 2026
-
Insects Uncovered: Biodiversity in Newton Abbot Exhibition
Newton Abbot Museum
17 March 2026 to 01 March 2027



