Matisse: Joy is designed by Journey, and directed by Journey’s Tom Wexler, and will open on 27 January 2027 at Lightroom, in London.
The show will bring six decades of Henri Matisse’s work to life across Lightroom’s 11 meter high walls and floor. From the whirling energy of The Dance and Joy of Life to the playful shapes of The Snail and the serene simplicity of the Blue Nudes, Matisse: Joy explores the artist’s radical use of color, shape and movement, bringing his work up close in astonishing detail, vibrancy and scale.
Tom Wexler said: “It was important for us to create a show that honors Matisse’s rigor
and innovation whilst celebrating how accessible his art is. With Yinka Ilori’s stunning
contributions, I feel we’ve created something truly inclusive for all ages; a story about pushing the
expressive limits of visual art, and rendering emotions in pure color.”
The experience also features intimate photography of Matisse at work, a recreation of the Matisse Chapel in Vence, and a narration drawn from the artist’s own diaries, letters, notebooks and journals.
In a generation-spanning dialogue, the show presents new artwork by British-Nigerian multidisciplinary artist and designer Yinka Ilori MBE, including a new piece created especially for the show. Ilori brings a contemporary perspective to Matisse’s enduring themes of color, creativity and joy.
Matisse: Joy is created in consultation with art historian Ann Dumas MBE, with sound design by Pippa Murphy and music selected for Yinka Ilori’s sections by Peter Adjaye.
The project continues Journey’s work creating experiences that bring artists and their work to new audiences, following the recent David Bowie: You’re Not Alone experience at Lightroom.
Tickets are on sale now – visit Lightroom to book.
