This exhibition has been organised with the help of The Kettle’s Yard Community Panel: Bryan Johnson, Abi Moore, Jade Pollard-Crowe, Alan Soer, and Jenny Wood.
Moving to Cambridge from Japan in the early 1970s, Umeda befriended Jim and Helen Ede and worked in the Kettle’s Yard house. In caring for the collection, Umeda became drawn to the work of Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, inspiring him to further his study of sculpture in Carrara, Italy before moving to the United States. In letters, Umeda describes Jim Ede as his sensei, or teacher, and from his studio in Arizona he sent the Edes his marble sculpture Spirality (1977), which is displayed in the Kettle’s Yard house to this day, adjacent to works by Lucie Rie and William Scott.
Each artwork will be for sale in the galleries. Selected works will also be available through Sotheby’s modern and contemporary sales opening in June 2026.
Encompassing painting, sculpture, photography, and ceramics this special exhibition will include work by celebrated contemporary artists Rana Begum, Antony Gormley, Jennifer Lee, Veronica Ryan, Megan Rooney and Caroline Walker and many others; as well as renowned 20th Century artists such as Ben Nicholson and Lucie Rie.
How do rare earth element-rich minerals form? What makes some minerals 'critical' and not others? Why are they in the news so often? Discover the work of a small team of Earth Scientists at the University of Cambridge, who study minerals that formed in magma chambers millions of years ago in Greenland. The minerals contain ‘rare earth elements’, which due to their use in powerful magnets are crucial to high-tech industries and the global transition to green energy.
From 11 February to 12 April, Talking Plants invites you to take part in a live experiment exploring how artificial intelligence can help us connect more deeply with the plant kingdom. By scanning QR codes positioned throughout the Glasshouses, you’ll be able to talk to 20 remarkable plants, each represented by a generative AI chatbot.
Ask questions, follow your curiosity and discover more about each plant’s habitat, life cycle, ecological role and cultural significance. Every conversation is unique, shaped by what you choose to ask and how you choose to engage.
Join us for a celebratory late opening marking the exhibition launch of The Auzoux Project at the Whipple Museum. Over the past six months, artist Anna Brownsted and our Whipple Scribble community have been co-creating a takeover of our Victorian Parlour, inspired by the incredible papier-mâché models of Dr Louis Auzoux. Experience the installation up close and explore the Museum after-hours with a glass of wine.
Be one of the first to see the latest creative collaboration between Tom de Freston and his wife, award-winning novelist Kiran Millwood Hargrave.
de Freston has long painted his wife, the award-winning novelist Kiran Millwood Hargrave, often in shifting literary and mythological roles which see her in the guise of Ophelia, Lady Macbeth and Eurydice. These portraits form part of the couple’s long-standing multimedia collaborations across books, films, graphic novels and performance. But the works in poíēsis emerged from a period of profound personal upheaval.
Explore a remarkable range of scientific instruments used to make sense of the world, from the Middle Ages to the present day. Discover objects from astronomy, navigation, surveying, drawing and calculation, including sundials, mathematical instruments, early electrical apparatus—and even a microscope once owned by Charles Darwin.
Plus, enjoy hands-on activities in the newly refurbished Learning Gallery, perfect for little ones — or book a Whipple Highlights guided tour. Afterwards, take home a treat from the Whipple gift shop to remember your visit.
