New exhibition by Jim Moir to be shown at the Lady Lever Art Gallery

The Lady Lever Art Gallery will present artwork by Jim Moir in a new exhibition, Dawn to Dusk: Birds by Jim Moir (14 June to 2 November 2025).

Moir is known for his exquisite paintings of British birds, around 45 of which will be on display. Some of the paintings have been created exclusively for the exhibition.

Many visitors will be familiar with Moir’s work following the successful Sky Arts series, Painting Birds with Jim and Nancy Moir. This will be the first time that the artist’s paintings are displayed in a national gallery, with most works available for purchase.

Although he is known to many for his earlier comedic work under the stage name of Vic Reeves, art came first for Moir. “All I ever did as a child was paint,” he has claimed, having produced art throughout his life.

Born in Leeds in 1959, Moir grew up in Darlington. Both of his parents were artistic – his mother was a painter and his father was a woodturner. He was immersed in the art world as a child, regularly attending craft fairs and galleries with his parents. He achieved his first taste of success at the age of ten, winning a competition on a cornflakes box by painting a combine harvester. He went on to study at art school.

Jim Moir said:

“It’s an honour to be exhibiting at Lady Lever; a truly unique gallery that’s brimming with masterpieces. The process of working with the team at National Museums Liverpool has been a greatly enjoyable one and I’m very much looking forward to sharing the finished exhibition with visitors.”

Growing up in a rural area, the natural world was Moir’s playground as a child. He and his friends would search for birds and their nests in hedgerows. After his father gifted him a set of very heavy binoculars from the Second World War, he became more interested in watching the birds from afar. 

Dave Moffat, Assistant Curator of Decorative Art at National Museums Liverpool, said:

“Moir’s paintings are unmistakably his; his passion for birds is visible in every brushstroke, along with his knowledge of each species. He studies each bird before painting it, allowing him to capture their character and quirks with his own unique blend of precision and wonder. The exhibition presents a joyful and imaginative study of British birds.”

From garden birds to seabirds, Dawn to Dusk celebrates the magic and majesty of many of the UK’s most-loved feathered friends, inviting us to appreciate their brilliance and importance through the beauty of paint.

Find out more information on the Lady Lever Art Gallery website.

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