Comedian-turned-artist Joe Lycett is set to stage his first major solo exhibition this summer, opening at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery in July 2026.
Over the past year, Lycett has been quietly building a new body of work shaped by nostalgia, grief and loss. The resulting exhibition, EVERY THING MUST GO, takes as its starting point “things that are no longer with us,” drawing inspiration from objects held in Birmingham’s own collection. It brings together dozens of previously unseen pieces.
Working across mixed media, Lycett turns his attention to an eclectic range of subjects – from deceased celebrities and discontinued chocolate bars to extinct animals and lost buildings – all rendered in his recognisable tongue-in-cheek, deliberately childlike style.
The exhibition will fill the gallery in a dense, salon-style hang, using humour and bold visuals to reflect on memory and cultural change, all filtered through a distinctly Brummie perspective.
Lycett is no stranger to the space. His painting The Mona Lisa Scott-Lee, featuring Lisa Scott-Lee, was shown at the museum between late 2024 and early 2025 as part of a tour accompanying his book Joe Lycett’s Art Hole. His work has also been exhibited at institutions including the Royal Academy of Arts, National Portrait Gallery, Manchester Art Gallery, Ikon Gallery, MAC Birmingham, Arnolfini and Wolverhampton Art Gallery.
Speaking about the new exhibition, Joe said:
“I’m honoured and delighted to be exhibiting in the superb Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, right in the centre of the best city in the world. I’m hoping to create a sort of neon graveyard which will overwhelm, delight and confuse gallery-goers. Expect colourful and silly depictions of loads of dead stuff.”
Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, co-chief executives of Birmingham Museums Trust said:
“We are thrilled to welcome Joe Lycett back to Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery with this major new exhibition.
“His unique artistic style, combined with his deep connection to Birmingham, makes this a truly special project. Visitors can expect something visually spectacular, thought-provoking and full of personality.”
The exhibition opens to the public at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery on Wednesday 29 July 2026 and general admission will be free of charge.
