The exhibition chronicles early works to recent paintings, kicking off with her infamous black-and-white series from the 1960s (Kiss, 1961, Movement in Squares, 1961 and Blaze 1, 1962). These show her innovative approach to picture making, the artist choosing to work with black-and-white to focus on the perceptual potential of her work. By taking familiar forms and shapes such as a square, circle or triangle, she puts it ‘through its paces’ in order to ‘find out what the chosen form can do.’

 
In the mid-1960s, seeking a way to move on from the powerful contrast of her black-and-white paintings, Riley introduced tonal sequences and curves into her work. Early curve paintings such as Drift 2 (1966) lay the foundations for her move into colour. Ten years later, she began to use the curve as a ‘rhythmic vehicle for colour,’ and between 1974 and 1981 developed a series of paintings using a limited selection of shades that crossed over each other, twisted in curves.

 
In 2017, Riley began a new series using the disc as her leading form. This led to her producing a large painting titled Cosmos; a group of paintings on canvas and on the wall. In all of these works, the colours revolved around a muted palette of purple, orange and green – until 2019 when Riley added a fourth shade of turquoise.