Ornament Unbound: Tissue Transferware Reframed is on view at the Museum of Royal Worcester, Worcester
September 10, 2026 – February 21, 2027
The Museum of Royal Worcester is inviting audiences to see Worcester porcelain differently as it launches Under the Glaze: Re-viewing Worcester Porcelain’s Art & Design, a major new contemporary art programme exploring the connections between historic craftsmanship, creative practice and today’s artists.
The first exhibition, Ornament Unbound: Tissue Transferware Reframed, opened to the public on 10 September 2026 and features new work by Worcestershire-based interdisciplinary artist Lisa Sheppy.
Drawing on extensive research in the Museum’s collections and archives, Sheppy explores tissue transferware, a pioneering industrial printing technique first developed at the Worcester porcelain factory in the 1750s. The technique enabled intricate designs to be transferred onto ceramic surfaces and became an important part of Worcester’s celebrated decorative tradition. For Ornament Unbound, Sheppy combines historic ceramic printing methods with 21st-century digital drawing and laser engraving, creating a new body of work that brings a historic process into contemporary artistic practice.
The exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to look beyond the finished porcelain object and discover the skills, experimentation, technology and creative decisions that lie behind it. Lisa Sheppy said: “Tissue transferware is a fascinating meeting point between craftsmanship, technology and cultural exchange. I am thrilled to bring this to life through my new exhibition Ornament Unbound: Tissue Transferware Reframed. I hope to open up this historic technique to new audiences and show how these skills can inspire contemporary creative practice.”
The exhibition is accompanied by a programme of Artist in Residence days, giving visitors the opportunity to meet Lisa Sheppy, see elements of the creative process first-hand and discover how historic techniques can be transformed through contemporary approaches.
A programme of hands-on creative workshops also invites visitors to experiment with ideas inspired by Worcester porcelain, pattern and making. The project includes opportunities for Heart of Worcestershire College and University of Worcester students, community groups and former Royal Worcester factory workers to engage with the Museum’s collections and the contemporary artists involved.
Museum Director Kate Travers said: “Worcester porcelain has a remarkable history of creativity, craftsmanship and innovation, and today these objects continue to inspire new ideas. Under the Glaze allows us to connect historic skills with contemporary skills and communities, creating new ways for people to explore, question and enjoy Worcester porcelain’s art and design heritage.”
Supported by the Headley Trust and Arts Council England through the National Lottery Project Grants Unlocking Collections scheme, Under the Glaze is a two-year programme running from September 2026 to October 2027. The programme will bring together contemporary artists, students, communities and former Royal Worcester workers with the Museum’s internationally significant collection.
The Museum cares for more than 10,000 ceramic objects and over 100,000 archive records, preserving the stories of the designers, artists, craftspeople and communities behind one of Britain’s most significant porcelain manufacturers.
Following Ornament Unbound, artist Matt J Smith will create new work for the second exhibition in the programme, opening in March 2027. His project will take Worcester’s iconic figurines as a starting point for conversations about identity, representation and cultural exchange.
Contact
info@museumofroyalworcester.org
Museum of Royal Worcester
Severn Street
Worcester WR1 2ND
United Kingdom
Photos courtesy of the Museum of Royal Worcester
Captions
- Lisa Sheppy, Ornament Unbound Series, Tissue transfer engraving on earthenware, 2026
