W hen a client approached Hull-based nail tech, Lucy Allman, about including her work in an art exhibition she was curating, Lucy was shocked. She had never seen herself as an artist – but that was about to change.
Lucy Allman
Lucy’s nail journey began when the Covid-19 pandemic brought her previous career to an abrupt end. She turned her attention to the nail world, seeking a career that fitted around being a mother. Once qualified, Lucy established her home salon, The Nail Shed, specialising in detailed nail art looks. She quickly built a loyal, diverse clientele, and one of her clients became the catalyst for a new experience.
An exciting idea
Regular nail client, Lucy Brooke, is the founder of The Feminine Urge Collective – a group of ‘female and non-binary artists based in the North of England who aim to address a lack of perspective and voice from female and trans artists, and artists who are working class, live with a disability or are northern’. When she began planning an art exhibition, she requested that Lucy Allman create a piece for it.
Lucy Brooke
“Nail art – like so many other visual arts, requires training, an understanding of materials and good knowledge of perspective and technique,” Lucy Brooke explains.
For Lucy Allman, the invitation was both thrilling and terrifying. “Lucy [Brooke] believed in me before I believed in myself,” she reflects. “She encouraged me to apply for the exhibition – and now, I truly believe I am an artist.”
‘ It took seeing my w ork in an art space to understand my worth. ‘‘
Exhibition theme
The showcase, which took place last month, brought together a wealth of talent to focus on a single, deeply personal theme: Mother. “Lucy Brooke chose this as she felt it was underexplored from a critical point of view,” Lucy Allman details. “If we all have a mother, why don’t we talk about her as much as we could?”
The theme resonated with the nail artist on a profound level. “Being a mother myself – and having a complicated relationship with my own mother, I knew my interpretation would be a healing process,” she shares. “To translate that into nail art, I delved into my childhood memories, as well as the life lessons and relationships that shaped me into an adult.”
The creative process
With her concept taking shape, Lucy set about creating a collection of nails unlike anything she had produced before: each one entirely unique and conveying a different part of her story. “I wanted to split the work into three sections of my life: childhood, teenage years and motherhood,” she describes.
The pro began creating the nails in December 2025, carving out time each Sunday to focus on a design. “I set myself a deadline and actually finished sooner than expected, because I was so hyper-focused,” she smiles.
The nails comprise a variety of materials, with one of the more unconventional being real hair which Lucy kept from her children’s first haircuts. “It was so hard to manipulate,” she reveals, adding: “I chose to use their hair in the piece as a nod to the idiom: ‘I wouldn’t hurt a hair on their head’.”
Lucy incorporated other mixed media, and notes that it took time to get used to working with some of these products. “I hadn’t used 3D clay before, but decided to add it to the piece. I discovered that it is a dream to work with,” she says.
Opening night
The ‘Mother’ exhibition took place at the Pier Street pop-up space in Hull, 1-17 May. Alongside the showcase, exhibiting artists ran workshops related to their fields of expertise – including flower arranging, beaded badge creation and filmmaking.
“The opening night was incredibly busy in a fantastic way,” Lucy Allman shares. “It was overwhelming in parts, and I still cannot believe that my work was in the same space as the other amazing art pieces.”
Visitors were captivated by Lucy’s artistry and the intricacy achievable on such a small canvas. “People kept saying that they didn’t know nail art could be so detailed,” curator, Lucy Brooke, recalls.
One nail in particular, which featured a 3D sculpted tooth resting atop a cushion, stopped visitors in their tracks. “It was a real pinch-me moment when attendees asked, ‘is that real?’,” Lucy Allman admits.
‘I delved into my childhood memories, as well as the life lessons and relationships that shaped me into an adult. ‘‘
Alongside the nails, Lucy produced a handwritten journal which shared insights into the meaning behind each design. Detailing the influence behind the teddy bear nail, Lucy shares in the journal that a huge part of her childhood involved Ty Beanie Babies, and she would buy them weekly using her pocket money.
The journal proved to be a deeply moving addition to the exhibition. “Some of the most incredible moments were seeing attendees become emotional when reading it,” Lucy Allman shares. This served as a powerful reminder that nail art can connect with people in ways far beyond the fingertips.
A wider influence
The inclusion of nail art within the Mother exhibition was a win for nail enthusiasts everywhere, and Lucy Allman hopes that by highlighting nails within the artistic sphere, she can ‘give other nail techs the courage to step outside of their comfort zones, try new things and believe in themselves’.
On a personal note, the impact of the exhibition has been immeasurable. “I will never question my artwork or pricing again,” she says. “I’m an artist – and it took seeing my work in an art space to understand my worth.”
Follow Lucy Allman: @the.nailshedhull
Follow The Feminine Urge Collective: @afeminineurge
Exhibition images courtesy of Sophie Cash (Instagram.com/sophiecash)