Yorkshire Sculpture Park is presenting ‘Cake Crumbs and Lemonade’, the largest solo exhibition to date by acclaimed illustrator and designer Louise Lockhart, best known for her much-loved brand The Printed Peanut.
Celebrated for her joyful, folk-inspired style and sharp eye for the details of everyday life, Lockhart’s work brings colour, warmth and a gentle humour to familiar British scenes. Born and raised in Hebden Bridge, Lockhart has long been fascinated by the quirks, craftsmanship and quiet comedy found in ordinary routines. Her inspiration comes from the small things that give places their character — bustling markets, hand-painted signage, seaside rituals, fairgrounds and the handmade touches of local shops, drawing a line of influence from Abergavenny to Yorkshire and beyond.
Working through collage and printmaking, Lockhart creates richly coloured artworks built from hand-cut paper shapes and expressive line drawings.
Her pieces transform the familiar into something newly engaging, capturing moments of leisure and daily rituals with a sense of nostalgia and an affectionate wit that encourages viewers to slow down and look again. Louise Lockhart said:
“I always get pleasure from observing the world around me no matter where I am. It’s an incredibly beautiful landscape here, nestled in the Brecon Beacons, I love our nearest town Abergavenny and the little shops and markets provide endless inspiration.”
She added: “I grew up in an incredibly creative household, surrounded by Yorkshire artists, and that shaped the way I see the world. Yorkshire Sculpture Park was somewhere we visited often as a family, so it feels deeply personal. Exhibiting here has been a long-held dream and, having worked as a freelance illustrator for 10 years, being able to take a chunk of time out to explore my own practice has been incredibly fulfilling and valuable to me as an artist.”
The exhibition also nods to wider traditions of documenting British life. ‘Cake Crumbs and Lemonade’ takes inspiration from Mass Observation, the social research project founded in 1937 to record everyday experiences, and reflects on shared culture and visual memory. It also references Barbara Jones’s ‘Black Eyes and Lemonade’ (1951), which celebrated post-war curiosity about everyday objects and helped highlight the enduring influence of mid-century design on British identity.
Amanda Peach, YSP’s Retail Programme and Product Development Manager said:
“Louise’s work has an immediate warmth and approachability that really resonates. There is a sense of joy and familiarity in her imagery that invites people to slow down and notice the small, often overlooked details of everyday life.
“Cake Crumbs and Lemonade beautifully captures the spirit of the handmade, celebrating pattern, colour, and storytelling in a way that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly contemporary. Her work feels perfectly at home at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, reflecting our shared interest in craftsmanship and lived experience.”
Visitors can expect a vibrant celebration of pattern, play and perceptive observation. Reminiscent of mid-century printed and collectable ephemera, Lockhart’s work captures the disappearing details of daily life and gently reminds us to find beauty in the overlooked and unremarkable.
All works featured in ‘Cake Crumbs and Lemonade’ will be available to purchase at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park visitor centre or online. A range of merchandise inspired by Lockhart’s designs will also be on sale, including silk neckerchiefs, a tin lunch box, tea towels, pin badges and greeting cards.
