Lisa Milroy: Paintings, Prints and Shows

Painting of rows of door handles, hinges, castors and brass fittings on a pale grey background — Lisa Milroy, *Hardware*, 1991. Courtesy Kate MacGarry. Framed by CoolCuration.

Last updated: 27 October 2026

Lisa Milroy is the Canadian-born, London-based painter known for rows of everyday objects, such as shoes, painted against plain grounds. Here you will find our take on her work, her recent shows with Kate MacGarry, and where to see and buy it.

Our take on Lisa Milroy

Milroy made her name in the 1980s with paintings of ordinary things laid out in rows, such as shoes. The Royal Academy describes the early work as everyday household objects “often arranged in rows or patterns against plain backgrounds”. Tate holds several of her paintings.

Her subjects have moved on since, from travel paintings of building facades in the 1990s to a geisha series and, more recently, skies and the colour blue. Still life remains the centre of her practice, according to Kate MacGarry, her London gallery.

She has also taught for decades, most recently as Head of Graduate Painting at the Slade, and in 2015 started Hands On Art Workshops in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, with the UN refugee agency.

Lisa Milroy: the essentials

Born in Vancouver, Canada, in 1959; lives and works in London and Kent, according to Kate MacGarry.
Studied at St Martin’s School of Art (1977 to 1979) and Goldsmiths (1979 to 1982), according to the Royal Academy.
Won the John Moores Painting Prize in 1989.
Elected a Royal Academician in 2005; Professor of Painting at the RA from 2024.
Artist Trustee at Tate from 2013 to 2017.
Represented by Kate MacGarry, London.

Lisa Milroy exhibitions

Kate MacGarry at Frieze London, 14 to 18 October 2026.
the colour blue, solo show, Kate MacGarry, London, 3 to 31 May 2025.
Correspondence, solo show, Kate MacGarry, London, 2 June to 15 July 2023.
Travel Paintings, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, 27 January to 23 March 1996.

Where to buy a Lisa Milroy print

Her paintings are sold through Kate MacGarry on enquiry. We found no limited editions in stock:

Tate custom prints, from £30: made-to-order reproductions of Tate’s Milroy paintings, including Shoes, from the Tate shop. These are open reproductions, not signed editions.
Flowers, 1999: a screenprint, 46 x 46 cm (18.1 x 18.1 in) image, edition of 40, listed at £520 by Edinburgh Printmakers. It was sold when we checked.

Lisa Milroy FAQs

What is Lisa Milroy known for?

Paintings of everyday objects, such as shoes, arranged in rows or patterns against plain backgrounds.

Which gallery represents Lisa Milroy?

Kate MacGarry, in London.

Is Lisa Milroy a Royal Academician?

Yes. She was elected in 2005 and became the RA’s Professor of Painting in 2024.

Where can I see Lisa Milroy’s work?

Tate holds several of her paintings. Kate MacGarry showed her work at Frieze London in October 2026.

Lisa Milroy