A Yorkshire charity art event which has regularly seen celebrity support returns to raise money as part of Movember this year.
The Gallery of Mo, which runs until December 15, returned last year for the first time in 10 years with a range of talented artists taking place in the online art gallery looking to add to the £27,200 already raised for the men’s health charity.
The event allows visitors to secure their own personal custom moustache portrait (or Mo’trait) for as little as £1, with all donations going to the annual Movember charity.
Last year, celebrities such as Laura Whitmore, Simon Rimmer, Matt Johnson and Jake Humphrey enjoyed their own Mo’traits, sharing them to their followers on Instagram, with previous years also receiving support from Sir Stephen Fry and Adam Buxton. The fundraiser is back for the sixth time, featuring a number of talented creatives from multiple different disciplines.
From illustrators to linoprint artists, digital doodlers to sculptors, this year’s Gallery of Mo celebrates creativity in all forms, having begun in 2011 as a small creative project designed to raise awareness and bring fresh fundraising to Movember and created by Leeds based designer Adam Campion with three colleagues at the Leeds agency Twentysix, as a creative way to support Movember and encourage donations. The event has since grown into a global creative effort.
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The 2025 edition welcomes back original Gallery of Mo artists Dan Berry, Graeme Ross, Ash Collins and Cliodhna Ztoical.
Taking on added importance in recent years following a prostate cancer diagnosis for Adam’s father, less than eight months after the 39-year-old’s mother died due to cancer. Adam also lost his uncle to prostate cancer, with both grandparents also receiving diagnoses, Adam and the artists are committed to donating their time to help raise money for the men’s health issues supported by Movember. Many of the artists have had friends, family members or the artists themselves affected by prostate cancer, testicular cancer or mental health issues.
Founder Campion said: “Thankfully my dad’s cancer was caught early and has been successfully treated, but it’s made me all the more determined to keep raising money and awareness for Movember.
“We originally set out to make a project which gives back something creative, personal and fun. It’s been amazing having the likes of Sir Stephen Fry and other celebrities promote the Gallery of Mo in previous years along with some well-known names in the art community devoting their time, for free, for such an important cause.
“So many of the people involved with Gallery of Mo have their own stories with issues that the Movember charity supports and we’ve seen over the years that this event can be playful and powerful at the same time.
“It’s amazing to see how many artists have returned from the original Gallery of Mo all those years back. It really shows how much of a community we’re building.
“Like the far-reaching issues that that charity deals with, this is not just for blokes – mo’traits have often featured women, kids and pets. They have been given as gifts for birthday presents, wedding favours and the ideal secret santa gifts. We are so excited to be back.”
