Whales - Beneath The Surface from John Ingle on Vimeo.

In the depths of winter 2016 Tom from Handsome Frank and I were invited to the Natural History Museum to discuss a new and exciting (top-secret) project. Ushered through a side door we gathered round a grand table in one of the many rooms of the museum that are closed off to the general public. Benji from Weidemann Lampe showed us some complex looking floor-plans, which were the initial thinkings of the 'Whales: Beneath the Surface' exhibition that opened its door in July 2017.

In the prevailing months I was tasked with illustrating a long list of whales, ranging from the Blue Whale to species that are now extinct. Each painting had to go through a complex sign-off process involving specialist scientists at the Natural History Museum to make sure they were anatomically correct and of course various members of the design teams to make sure they looked the best they could.

Benji Weidemann, Design Director at Weidemann Lampe told me the paintings were an important part of the exhibition as it allowed a deeper level of engagement for the thousands of people that will meander through the exhibition space over the coming months. His team have done a stellar job of creating an immersive exhibition that captures all your senses.

Read Creative Review's article about Whales: Beneath The Surface, the first exhibition for the Natural History Museum with a shift in focus to conservation, with the installation of Hope in Hintze Hall

BOOK TICKETS HERE