Mylands, the esteemed British manufacturer of luxury paints and wood polishes proudly deepens its partnership with one of the world’s most revered art institutions, the National Portrait Gallery, as its 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. It is testament to both organisations’ commitment to excellence and sustainability in their respective fields.

Bringing Art to Life Through Colour

For over a decade, Mylands’ richly pigmented, high-performance paints have played a vital role in shaping the visual narrative of the National Portrait Gallery’s most celebrated exhibitions. From Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm, David Hockney: Drawing from Life to Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII’s Queens, Mylands’ paints have provided the perfect backdrop, enhancing the drama, emotion, and historical resonance of each display. Most recently, Mylands’ signature shades could be seen in The Face Magazine: Culture Shift, and Jenny Saville: The Anatomy of Painting, which opened on 20th June 2025.

Chosen by the gallery for the quality, exceptional coverage and richly pigmented shades of its paints, the new partnership will see Mylands’ paints used for the gallery’s temporary exhibitions and selectively across the landmark building.

For The Face Magazine: Culture Shift, the gallery’s expert design team employed Mylands’ Upcycled Paint collection, particularly Enamel Blue No. 78, a bright cerulean hue chosen to complement the vibrancy and cultural dynamism of the artworks on display. This selection not only reflects the gallery’s sustainability goals but also exemplifies how colour can reimagine space and deepen the viewer’s connection to the art. 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 colours. Additionally, any surplus paints not needed by the gallery will be upcycled by Mylands into new paint.

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 leadership of Jude Simmons, Head of Design, the gallery’s exhibition spaces are meticulously transformed to evoke a sense of time, place, and emotion. “Mylands paints offer exceptional depth of colour and coverage.” says Simmons. “Our approach to exhibition design begins with the artworks themselves. We develop a colour scheme that enhances the portraits, ensuring they are 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.”

A Vision for the Future

Mylands’ partnership with the National Portrait Gallery is the latest in its long history of collaborations with leading cultural institutions, including Dulwich Picture Gallery, Shapero Modern, The Decorative Fair and Tate Liverpool.

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 are proud to contribute to this creative vision. Together, we are not only enhancing the visitor experience but also taking significant strides toward a more sustainable future for the arts.”

By blending heritage craftsmanship with cutting-edge design, this partnership continues to redefine how colour and curation can shape the way we experience art.

All Mylands’ paints and wood polishes are made at its factory in south London, ensuring that all its products are of the highest quality.

Key sustainability highlights of Mylands include:

–       The Upcycled Collection, launched in 2024, which repurposes sample and surplus paints to reduce waste.

–       The Olive Stone Emulsion launched in 2023, made with crushed olive stones – a by-product of the Olive Oil industry – with a dead matt finish.

–       Plant Based Multi Surface paint launched in early 2010s, with impressively high bio-carbon content to offer an environmentally-conscious alternative to acrylic paints.

–       Paints with exceptional coverage and durability, minimising material usage.

–       A made-to-order production model, reducing excess stock and waste.

–       Complete control over the supply chain with all products manufactured at the London factory.

–       Minimal VOC classification of 0.1 – 0.29% for all Mylands’ paints.

–       Plant Mark certification, reflecting a commitment to reducing environmental impact and meet net zero targets.

–       Low impact local delivery for London-based clients