The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse... and beyond: Charlie Mackesy’s illustrated world on show in new exhibition

Beloved author and illustrator Charlie Mackesy will be the focus of a new exhibition at Dulwich Picture Gallery.

Mackesy, an illustrator for Oxford University Press, is best known for his wholesome and whimsical children’s book The Boy, the Fox, the Mole and the Horse, which was published in 2019 and rapidly went on to become a literary sensation worldwide.

A new exhibition will bring together early sketches, unpublished studies, and original works from across Mackesy’s near 50-year-long career.

The gently told story of a young boy’s encounter with new animal friends, The Boy, the Fox, the Mole and the Horse went on to sell over 10 million copies and has been translated into more than 50 languages.

Its message of love, friendship and self-worth found visual form in Mackesy’s winsome illustrations – the boy and animals brought to life by his loose and expressive pen.

In 2023, a BBC screen adaptation of the book, featuring the voices of Jude Coward Nicoll, Tom Hollander, Idris Elba, and Gabriel Bryne, won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.

Curated by art historian and author Kate Bryan, the forthcoming exhibition will invite visitors to make their own drawings in response to those on display, emphasising the health and wellbeing benefits of art.

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Studies have shown that engaging in creativity can reduce depression, improve immunity and delay aging, with randomised trials on the mental health benefits of the arts concluding that regular singing, dancing, reading, crafts, and cultural pursuits reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress for people of all ages.

“I’ve loved Dulwich Picture Gallery ever since I biked past it when I was 19 and came in to have a look,” said Mackesy, who lives local to the art institute. “It felt very special; kind but serious and beautiful.

“I never dreamt that one day I’d be exhibiting my work at the Gallery. What a privilege. I really hope you enjoy visiting the exhibition and that it inspires you.”

Speaking about the resonance of Mackesy’s work, Bryan, the curator, said: “Charlie Mackesy is an astonishingly rare breed of artist. His distinct hand distils emotional and psychological messages into elegantly simple artwork.

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“Universally regarded across all ages and continents, we love it because it embraces our imperfections, gives gentle reassurance and reminds us there is power in vulnerability.”

Previously, Mackesy has said the conversations that unfold in his beloved book – about fear, courage, asking for help, and feeling lost – were drawn from real conversations he’d had with his friends “about what life really means, what’s important”.

“All four characters represent different parts of the same person,” he told The Guardian in 2019, “the inquisitive boy, the mole who’s enthusiastic but a bit greedy, the fox who’s been hurt so is withdrawn from life, slow to trust but wants to be part of things, and the horse who’s the wisest bit, the deepest part of you, the soul.”

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Announcing the exhibition, Jennifer Scott, director of Dulwich Picture Gallery, said: “Mackesy’s drawings demonstrate the power of creativity to move, heal, comfort and connect us. We are overjoyed to welcome Mackesy’s beautiful works and his inspiring message of hope.”

Mackesy’s work has seen him collaborate with director Richard Curtis on the set of Love Actually to create a set of drawings for Comic Relief, and with Nelson Mandela on a lithograph project called The Unity Series.

Charlie Mackesy: The Boy, the Fox, the Mole, the Horse... And You will run from 3 November 2026 – 7 February 2027