Mr. Punch in the Arts: The Paintings of Helen Wilkes

Helen Wilkes, the Head of Humanities at the City & Guilds of London Art School, is an accomplished painter with dozens of award-winning exhibitions to her credit. Her work studies the complexities of interpersonal relationships and she has a passion for exploring the correlations between theater and the visual arts.


Wilkes finds much inspiration in the character of Mr. Punch and often paints Punch and his wife Judy as an allegory of domestic life. In her “Punch and Judy” paintings, Wilkes examines what the relationship between the characters would be like within the private confines of their tent—behind the scenes. The paintings are fascinating—colorful and engaging. A complete statement about her work as well as a gallery of pictures can be found on her Web site.