AN exhibition of photographs taken by Andy Warhol on holiday will have its premiere in Yorkshire.

The 35 black and white pictures taken during a 1982 trip to Beijing and Hong Kong have never been displayed in a public art gallery before.

They will go on show at the RedHouse Originals Gallery in Harrogate from tomorrow, Friday.

Richard McTague, gallery director, said: “We are extremely proud to be the first public gallery in the world to exhibit these hugely insightful images.

“These images show a very different side to the Warhol that people know - in a relaxed state of mind, operating his camera as a tourist and producing images that weren’t intended for display.

“Yet at the same time, the images – which tell stories of repetition, mass production, advertising and everyday consumption - are still undeniably Warhol.”

Warhol had been invited to Hong Kong by businessman and entrepreneur Alfred Siu, who commissioned the artist to create a portrait of Prince Charles and Princess Diana for his private members club.

Siu then sent Warhol on a surprise three-day trip to Beijing, where he was virtually unknown and able to roam the city with freedom.