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A painting of a person with a full beard wearing a tiara and makeup. They wear a dark T-shirt with the word “HUN” in pink letters.

Joe Lycett puts on an exhibition with his mum, Helen Lycett

The mother-son duo (aka Mummy and Mummy’s Mummy) will display individual works and new collaborative pieces.

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Date
11 September 2023

Joe Lycett, comedian, artist and bin-enthusiast, is putting on an exhibition with his mum, the artist and watercolourist Helen Lycett. They will be displaying a range of individual artworks – including acrylics by Joe and portraits by Helen – plus “mash-up” pieces the duo created together.

Lycett & Mummy is made in collaboration with the print shop and gallery They Made This. “We love them for all sorts of reasons: they have a great eye for fun art, they’re a queer-led business AND they’re mad about affordable art,” Joe shared on Instagram recently. Price point is a focal point for the event; the exhibition itself is free to attend with affordable artworks available alongside more exclusive pieces. There will even be an opportunity to get some prints for free too.

Attendees can expect to find a mix of mediums exhibited. Joe will show a small selection of his famous ceramics – here’s hoping we finally get to see this one in person – whereas Helen will display powerful portraits, nudes and floral pieces.

Two people sit at a desk, smiling at the camera. One wears a black T-shirt and a baseball cap, while the other wears glasses and a brown pinafore over a white shirt. A laptop, a glass of water and a yellow ceramic object sit on the table before them.
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Copyright © Joe Lycett / Helen Lycett, 2023

In our recent Nicer Tuesdays Q&A with Joe, he mused on his collaboration with his mum, reflecting on her skill as a watercolourist and the complementary nature of their distinct styles. On the partnership, Joe says: “Despite an angry and bitter personal relationship, mum and I have a deep mutual respect for our artworks. We are delighted to share these works which should help pay for ongoing family legal disputes.”

Helen adds: “‘Let’s have a joint exhibition,’ he said. ‘I’ll just add a few finishing touches to some of your paintings,’ he didn’t say.”

The exhibition runs from 22 September – 1 October at They Made This in Covent Garden, London.

A painting of yellow tulips in a blue glass vase against a pink background. White hand-painted text reads “A GLASS OF SLAGS”.
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Copyright © Joe Lycett

A watercolour portrait of a person wearing dark sunglasses and a colourful, patterned shirt. The painting is set against a red background with the text “lycett & mummy” to the left and “They made this.” to the right.
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Copyright © Helen Lycett

A painting of a pink walrus on a bright blue background. The text “HOT GIRL” appears above the walrus and “SUMMER” below it.
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Copyright © Joe Lycett

A painting of a nude figure reclining on a grey surface, leaning one arm on a dark block. The image is framed by a dark grey background with the text “lycett & mummy” on the left and “They made this.” on the right.
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Copyright © Helen Lycett

A painting of a glass of beer against a split pink and blue background. Hand-painted text reads “SHOW US” at the top and “YER TITS.” at the bottom.
Above

Copyright © Joe Lycett

A watercolour painting of orange flowers in a glass vase against a dark blue background. The artwork is framed in white and set against a coral backdrop with the text “lycett & mummy” and “They made this.”
Above

Copyright © Helen Lycett

A painting of a person with a beard wearing a fluffy pink dressing gown against a bright yellow background. Text above and below the figure reads “THIS YEAR WILL ALSO BE SHIT”.
Above

Copyright © Joe Lycett

A watercolour painting of a person wearing red-rimmed glasses, large gold earrings and a gold beaded necklace. They hold a cigarette in one hand and look towards the camera with a slight smile.
Above

Copyright © Helen Lycett

A painting of a person with a full beard wearing a tiara and makeup. They wear a dark T-shirt with the word “HUN” written across the chest in large, pink letters. Text on the right reads “lycett & mummy”, an art exhibition by Joe and Helen Lycett. Further details list the dates “22nd sept – 1st oct” and the venue “they made this” in London.
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They Made This / Joe Lycett / Helen Lycett: Lycett & Mummy (Copyright © They Made This, 2023)

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Copyright © Joe Lycett

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Further Info

About the Author

Liz Gorny

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Liz (she/they) is the senior editor at Insights, a research-driven department within It’s Nice That. They previously ran the news section of the website. Get in contact with them for potential Insights collaborations or to discuss Insights’ public-facing reports.

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