Mylands x The National Portrait Gallery: In-Kind Paint Partner

MYLANDS AND THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY: A CELEBRATION OF COLOUR, CRAFT AND CULTURE

Mylands is delighted to deepen its partnership with the National Portrait Gallery, one of the world's most revered art institutions, becoming the gallery's Preferred Paint Partner. This partnership underscores the gallery's unwavering commitment to exceptional exhibition design and immersive visitor experiences, achieved through the transformative use of colour, and is testament to both organisations' commitment to excellence and sustainability in their fields.

Bringing art to life through colour

For over a decade, our richly pigmented, high-performance paints have played a vital role in shaping the visual narrative of the gallery's most celebrated exhibitions, and we've been a long-term supplier. Recent iconic shows such as Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64: Eyes of the Storm, David Hockney: Drawing from Life and Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII's Queens all feature our striking paints, providing the perfect backdrop and enhancing the drama, emotion and historical resonance of each display; most recently, our signature shades appeared in The Face Magazine: Culture Shift, an exhibition bringing to life the magazine's extraordinary story. Chosen for the quality, exceptional coverage and richly pigmented shades of our paints, the new partnership will see Mylands used for the gallery's temporary exhibitions and selectively across the landmark building.

Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII's Queens

This was the first major exhibition to focus on the women who married the infamous Tudor king, exploring their agency, influence and cultural impact in life and afterlife, and stepping back in time to showcase contemporary portraits, costumes and sixteenth-century portraits. Reuniting items last seen together when in the queens' own possession, it featured pieces never before displayed and a 16th-century portrait once thought lost, against a stunning canvas of Mylands colours in regal tones. The palette that ruled throughout evoked a regality and stateliness matching the grandeur of the Tudor portraits, with shades like Indian Lake™ No.288, Duke's House™ No.44, Pleasure Gardens Green™ No.214 and Egyptian Grey™ No.154 creating depth and contrast.

Discover the colours used at Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII's Queens.

The art of exhibition design

The National Portrait Gallery is renowned not only for its extraordinary collection but also for its masterful use of space and colour. Under the visionary leadership of Jude Simmons, Head of Design, the exhibition spaces are meticulously curated to evoke a sense of time, place and emotion. "Our approach to exhibition design begins with the artworks themselves. We develop a colour scheme that enhances the portraits, ensuring they're presented in the most compelling light. We take inspiration from the artist's palette, historical colour references and architectural influences, crafting an environment that not only respects but elevates the art," says Simmons.

The temporary spaces are fully redesigned for each exhibition, including new partition walls, showing how colour and paint can transform a space, creating a completely different atmosphere and backdrop each time. "Mylands paints offer exceptional depth of colour and coverage," adds Simmons.

THE FACE MAGAZINE: CULTURE SHIFT

For its first exhibition of 2025, The Face Magazine: Culture Shift, the gallery developed a vibrant palette, with Duke's House™ No.44, Sinner™ No.238, Enamel Blue™ No.78 and FTT-006™ Shocking Pink creating a bright, stylish contrast. The National Portrait Gallery has been a pioneer in taking a sustainable approach to exhibition design, using Mylands' Upcycled Paint collection, featuring Enamel Blue No.78, a richly pigmented light and bright cerulean. The Upcycled Paint collection is part of Mylands' initiative to minimise waste by repurposing sample colours, returned orders or leftovers into a limited number of favourite shades. All Mylands paints and wood polishes are made at our South London factory, ensuring the highest quality.

This is the latest in Mylands' longstanding relationships with cultural institutions, which include Dulwich Picture Gallery, Shapero Modern, Mapperton and Tate Liverpool, and in our long legacy with the film, TV and art industries. By blending heritage craftsmanship with cutting-edge design, this partnership continues to redefine how colour and curation shape the way we experience art.

Dominic Myland, CEO of Mylands, comments: "This partnership is a celebration of artistry, heritage and innovation. The National Portrait Gallery's designers have an extraordinary talent for transforming space through colour, and we're proud to contribute to this creative vision. Together, we're not only enhancing the visitor experience but also taking significant strides toward a more sustainable future for the arts."

A sustainable legacy rooted in craftsmanship

Our commitment to sustainability is seamlessly woven into every aspect of our heritage craft, from responsible sourcing and local production to eco-conscious innovation. As Britain's oldest family-owned paint manufacturer, we maintain complete control of our supply chain, with all paints meticulously produced at our South London factory, ensuring traceability, quality and reduced transportation impact. Our paint is designed with superior coverage and durability, minimising material use without compromising quality or finish, and this efficiency is matched by our made-to-order production, which avoids overproduction and significantly reduces excess stock and waste.

We're proud to have earned Planet Mark certification, recognising our commitment to lowering environmental impact and supporting long-term net zero ambitions. The Upcycled Collection, introduced in 2024, reimagines surplus, sample and returned paints into a curated range of timeless hues; by reducing waste and extending the life of high-quality materials, this initiative reflects our belief that sustainability and style go hand in hand. Our Plant-Based Multi-Surface Paint offers an advanced, environmentally conscious alternative to conventional acrylics, formulated with impressively high bio-carbon content for exceptional performance with a significantly reduced footprint.

Our entire range holds a minimal VOC classification of 0.1-0.29%, meeting the highest standards for indoor air quality and environmental responsibility, and for our London clientele we offer low-impact local delivery, reducing emissions and reinforcing our pledge to sustainable urban living. At Mylands, sustainability isn't an add-on; it's a tradition we've evolved, refined and upheld for generations.