Jeffrey Sherwin could be forgiven for feeling a little confused as he walks through the doors of Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art in the coming weeks.

In the most recent of MIMA's impressive exhibitions they have chosen to recreate part of Dr Sherwin's home in the vast surroundings of four gallery spaces, occupying the whole of the ground floor. The idea is not to frighten the life out of the former GP and his wife Ruth, but create a suitable environment for this highly impressive collection of work.

British Surrealism and Other Realities is an attempt to show a very personal and unique approach to the way that art can be collected. Containing over 300 items of British surrealist artwork and related objects, the collection has been transported almost in its entirety from the Sherwin family home in Leeds, and this will be the first time it has been shown on this scale. The work is mainly comprised by British surrealist artists such as Eileen Agar, John Banting and Patrick Heron but is sympathetic to the influences of Europeans like Henri Gaudier Brzeska and Rene Magritte.

The phrase "joined up writing" is used by Sherwin to describe the cohesive nature of the work on show and how the pieces are linked by their unconventional approach to style and ideology. Anarchic but contemplative in its nature, the exhibition is keen to present life as the often contradictory and mystifying game that it is, particularly when it comes to the themes of war and the wider plight of humanity. Aries by John Banting gives a perspective on the fear created by the threat of the Nazi regime in 1936. An oil painting, it depicts the skull of a ram upon a giant chess piece which looms over the landscape and is a clear omen of war.

With each gallery space representing a different room in the Sherwin household - the entrance hall, study, gallery and library - you are immediately taken into Jeffrey's world and the insubordinate pleasures that lie within. Associated paraphernalia includes publications, letters and photographs which help to highlight the relationship that Sherwin was able to create with some of the artists he most admired.

It is clear that Sherwin shows a clear belief and trust in the work that he has collected, not least because of its unique British perspective. The vastness of the collection does not detract from the individuality that each piece brings and while they are out of the house for the next three months it is a good excuse for Mr and Mrs Sherwin to have a jolly good tidy up.

British Surrealism and Other Realities runs until Sunday 17 August at MIMA.