14 February-14 June 2026
Open 10am-5pm Tuesday-Sunday and bank holiday Mondays.
Closed on Easter Sunday.
Advance booking is advised.
Explore the complex histories between Europe and the South Pacific. Centre stage is the stunning 'Portrait of Mai' by Plympton-born Sir Joshua Reynolds.
Formerly known as 'Omai' in England, Mai (c.1753-1779) was a native of Ra‘iātea (now French Polynesia). He travelled to and from England as part of Captain James Cook's second and third voyages.
'Journeys with Mai' examines ideas of power and perception and includes a range of historic paintings, prints and objects from The Box’s collections and on loan from national partners.
Lisa Reihana’s monumental video work 'In Pursuit of Venus (infected)' offers a counterpoint to many of these images. Watercolours by a fellow native of Ra‘iātea named Tupaia, on loan from the British Library, present a reading of early cultural encounters and Pacific Island peoples from a different perspective. A new soundscape by Tahitian artist Hinatea Columbani records the making of tapa (bark cloth), bringing the sights and sounds of Tahiti to life.
'Expedition into a Volcano', a new commission by Devon-based artist Mohini Chandra, responds directly to the themes of the exhibition.
Archive and research materials from The Box’s collections that relate to Mai’s time in Plymouth and the city's role in early encounters between people from Europe and the South Pacific are also on display.
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