Sir Joshua Reynolds 'Portrait of Mai' to visit The Box in 2026

4th February 2025

'Portrait of Mai' by Sir Joshua Reynolds is set to embark on its first national tour, visiting Bradford, Cambridge and Plymouth as part of a major new partnership project. 'Portrait of Mai' will come The Box in February, 2026. 

Titled Journeys with Mai, this major national partnership project will also include a new engagement programme, creating opportunities for contemporary artists, young people and communities from the Pacific and across the UK. The project has been made possible thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and other supporters and will ensure that many more people from across the UK are able to enjoy the portrait and explore its themes.

Sir Joshua Reynolds’ spectacular Portrait of Mai holds a pivotal place in global art history, depicting the first Polynesian to visit Britain, and is widely regarded as the finest portrait by one of Britain's greatest artists. Formerly known as 'Omai' in England, Mai (c. 1753-1779) was a native of Raiatea, an island now part of French Polynesia, who travelled to England as part of Captain James Cook's second voyage. He spent the years 1774-1776 in London, where he was received by royalty and the intellectual elite, and became something of a celebrity. Mai returned to his homeland in 1777 and died there two years later.

Portrait of Mai, which has been on display at the National Portrait Gallery since the building reopened in June 2023, will depart from the gallery's walls on 7 April, following a ’Departures Summit’. This will see young people from London, Bradford, Cambridge and Plymouth come together with experts, historians and curators for a journey of discovery with Mai. The Summit will explore key themes including travel, colonialism, encounter and representation. Further national Summits will take place throughout the project in Bradford, Cambridge and Plymouth.

The painting will then head to Bradford, the UK's City of Culture in 2025 where it will displayed in Cartwright Hall Art Gallery (Bradford District Museums and Galleries) as part of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, from 22 May to 17 August. Portrait of Mai will then travel to The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, where it will feature in an exhibition jointly produced with the Museum of Archaeology and Anthroplogy from 17 October to 1 February. Finally, it will journey to The Box in Plymouth, close to where Sir Joshua Reynolds was born in nearby Plympton. The portrait will be displayed at The Box from 14 February to 14 June 2026, alongside a programme exploring Captain Cook's voyages and the colonial history of the South Pacific.

An ambitious national engagement initiative will accompany the tour and will aim to build a legacy for this 18th-century masterpiece, inviting diverse voices to engage with the portrait's complex themes. In collaboration with Bradford District Museums and Galleries, The Fitzwilliam Museum and The Box, this programme will create a platform for reflection and creativity, exploring issues such as cultural exchange and identity, as well as colonial legacies.