Funny People - Art and Humour by Artists and Comedians
Magda Archer, Claire Dorsett, Jenny Eclair, Olaf Falafel, Ryan Gander, Rosie Gibbens, Marty Gleeson, Ella Golt, Winnie Hall, Emma Hart, Harry Hill, Andy Holden, Jessica Hynes, Sarah Lucas, Annie McGrath, Jim Moir, Rebecca Moss, Rory Mullen, Simon Munnery, Harold Offeh, Janette Parris, Amrit Randhawa, David Shrigley, Olivia Sterling, Chester Tenneson, Johnny Vegas, Katy Wix, Wilfrid Wood, and Wood & Harrison
This major exhibition brings together comedic artists and artistic comedians whose practices inhabit the space between comedy and visual art. Jointly curated by Zoe Watson (Lowry) and comedy writer and performer Annie McGrath, Funny People explores this intersection through the inclusion of comedians making art alongside their comedy careers.
In a world shaped by information overload, political uncertainty and global crises, artists and comedians employ humour as a tool in their practice, to critique contemporary conditions or provide moments of relief and human connection. Through a wide range of contemporary artworks, Funny People explores humour as both a subject and a critical lens, inviting audiences to reflect on, question and laugh at the world around them.
A broad spectrum of comedic forms, styles and techniques are considered throughout the exhibition, from the quirky to the absurd. David Shrigley’s lanky life model (Life Model III, 2025) and Ryan Gander’s animatronic eyes (Oculus animi index, 2017) bring a playful energy, while artists such as Claire Dorsett, Emma Hart and Chester Tenneson deploy text-based approaches across painting, sculpture and ceramics, creating witty work with a sense of mischief. Harry Hill, Olaf Falafel and Jim Moir aka Vic Reeves build on a long tradition of surrealism. The bizarre nature of their work is contrasted by more understated, observational takes by Andy Holden and Winnie Hall.
Rory Mullen and Wilfrid Wood find the funny in people. Mullen's large-scale sculptural work and Wood's plasticine heads play with elements of caricature, exaggerating and distorting their subjects. Turning the gaze to themselves, artists such as Rebecca Moss, Rosie Gibbens and Wood & Harrison become the subject of their work. They take on the role of performer, channelling slapstick and deadpan comedy styles in their short films, whereas Harold Offeh tests the limits of his own body in durational performances, which critique popular culture.
Comedy as critique is prominent throughout, for example, in Amrit Randhawa’s text works, informed by the current political climate, and Magda Archer's deceptively comforting aesthetic, laced with satire. Other artists also use humour as a subversive strategy, to comment on, question and confront contemporary issues. Sarah Lucas' iconic Self Portrait with Fried Eggs (1996) uses parody to challenge gender stereotypes and assert feminist identity. Olivia Sterling uses humour as a disarming tool; her seemingly jovial and playful paintings are rooted in serious messages around race and class. In a similar vein, Janette Parris' animated films, which often break out in song, observe everyday urban life through a humorous lens, while subtly revealing the melancholic edge of her subject matter.
Annie McGrath brings extensive experience of bridging the worlds of comedy and visual art, drawing on her acclaimed Secret Artists podcast, previous curatorial projects and the inclusion of her own surreal, figurative painting. The exhibition explores this intersection further through comedians such as Ella Golt and Simon Munnery, whose artworks form part of their live performances. Works by Jessica Hynes and Katy Wix demonstrate how artistic practice can sit alongside and enrich a comedic career. Elsewhere, artworks by household names including Jenny Eclair and Johnny Vegas, alongside rising comedian Marty Gleeson demonstrate artistic outputs that offer alternatives to their well-known comedic personas, acting as an escape from their comedy careers.
As well as activities within the exhibition, including a Taskmaster task devised by the show's creator Alex Horne, Funny People will be supported by a public programme including a commissioned performance by Rebecca Moss, a humorous audio guide by Manchester comedian Edy Hurst, and a takeover event by Manchester comedy collective Fight Club.
Zoe Watson, Contemporary Curator at Lowry says, “Funny People is a perfect Venn diagram bringing together art and humour in our galleries. It feels especially at home at Lowry, where we host many comedians across our stages. By exploring many different facets of humour, the exhibition reflects the richness and complexity of everyday human experience.”
Co-curated by Zoe Watson & Annie McGrath
Concept Development by Emalee Beddoes & Chester Tenneson
Funny People opens in Lowry's Andrew Law Galleries on 21 November and continues until 17 January 2027. Supported by Arts Council England and Salford City Council, Lowry presents a regularly changing programme of contemporary exhibitions alongside the permanent LS Lowry Collection.