Image: Dulwich Picture Gallery, London
Dulwich Picture Gallery has announced 'Charlie Mackesy: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse... and You', described as the first UK museum exhibition dedicated to the award-winning artist and author. The London venue said the exhibition will run from 3 November 2026 to 7 February 2027 and will include never-before-seen sketches, unpublished studies and original works.
The announcement arrived in a Friends email from the gallery, which paired the Mackesy show with advance information about another forthcoming exhibition, 'Hokusai: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji from the Iuchi Collection'. Within that message, Dulwich Picture Gallery said Friends would receive a 10-day priority booking window, with access opening at 10 am on 21 July before tickets go on general sale on 31 July.
For the Mackesy exhibition, the gallery says the presentation will offer a rare insight into the artist’s creative world. The wording in the announcement emphasizes the range of material on view rather than a single narrative: sketches, unpublished studies and original works are all listed as part of the exhibition, alongside a focus on themes of hope, kindness and connection.
Mackesy is identified in the gallery’s notice as both artist and author, reflecting the cross-disciplinary reach that has made his work widely recognisable. The title itself points to his best-known book, 'The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse', while the gallery’s expanded subtitle, '... and You', frames the exhibition as an invitation to viewers rather than a retrospective biography or a straightforward survey.
The exhibition comes as part of a broader winter season at Dulwich Picture Gallery, which the institution says will also feature Hokusai’s 'Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji'. The Friends campaign text notes that the Hokusai show brings together, for the first time in the UK, a complete high-quality set of Katsushika Hokusai’s iconic series, alongside rare versions of prints from the series, including 'The Great Wave'.
Dulwich Picture Gallery’s announcement also underscores the practical side of the roll-out. Friends are encouraged to join to access priority booking, and the gallery lists membership benefits such as free entry to temporary exhibitions and the collection, Friends private views, specialist tours, priority booking for events, discounts in the shop and events, and the members’ magazine 'In View'. The gallery says membership starts from £46.
The event listing attached to the announcement places 'Charlie Mackesy: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse... and You' at Dulwich Picture Gallery in London from 3 November 2026 until 7 February 2027.
