Comedian's first major art show opens tomorrow

The first major solo art exhibition by comedian Joe Lycett opens in his Birmingham hometown tomorrow.

Every Thing Must Go at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery includes more than 80 paintings and artworks in other media such as stained glass, photography, ceramics, sculpture and screenprints.

The comedian says the show is inspired by ‘things that are no longer with us’, with the centrepiece being an almost life-size pink woolly mammoth sculpture called Martin from Hull. It was made with British wool that has been hand-rugged by cast members from the series of The Great British Sewing Bee that Lycett hosted. 

He said: ‘I’m thrilled to finally open the doors to Every Thing Must Go. It’s essentially a giant celebration of dead and lost stuff and things that probably shouldn’t have disappeared in the first place.  

‘There are more than 80 artworks, including paintings and other media, a huge pink woolly mammoth, unexpected artefacts and collaborations with local artists.  I’m incredibly proud to be showing this exhibition in my home city of Birmingham and I hope visitors leave feeling a bit overwhelmed, delighted and slightly confused.’

Subjects include demolished buildings, dead celebrities including Amy Winehouse and Benjamin Zephaniah, and discontinued chocolate bars. The gallery describes the exhibition as a  ‘vibrant and immersive exploration of nostalgia, memory, grief and loss’.

In a statement, Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, co-chief executives of Birmingham Museums Trust, said: ‘Joe’s creativity, humour and deep affection for Birmingham ​shine through every aspect of this project.

‘Every Thing Must Go is playful, thought-provoking and visually spectacular. It offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience Joe’s artistic practice on an unprecedented scale and demonstrates how museums can connect contemporary culture and our shared heritage in novel ways.’

The exhibition runs until February 21 and general admission is free.

Lycett has collaborated with a number of artists and creatives including Dion Kitson, Faisal Hussain, Hannah Al-Shemmeri, Helen Lycett, Imbue, James Turner of Stirchley Printworks, Khuram Mirza, Lara O’Toole, Molly Cleaver, Primo Antoniazzi, and Tom Bird (who took all the photographs on this page).

Published: 28 Jul 2026