Birmingham nail designer collaborates with museum to create manicure masterpiece

Rosie Lynall, a nail artist & designer working from Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, has collaborated with Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge to create a miniature work of art.

“The team at Fitzwilliam Museum contacted me in late 2025 and asked if I’d create a nail design inspired by pieces from their collections,” shares Rosie, who works under the business name, Nails Bab. “The concept was to explore how contemporary artists from different genres reinterpreted historical artwork. I have a background in art and my style focuses on intricate, hand-painted designs, so the idea of translating museum pieces onto such a small canvas was a natural fit.”

The museum houses works of art and material culture, primarily from Europe, North Africa and Asia, that connect people across cultures and time. It works with partners worldwide to explore how collections can be better understood, cared for and shared.

Rosie visited the space in November to glean ideas for the nail design, and reveals: “It was hard to choose what to focus on because there were so many pieces I loved. I decided on a porcelain floral base inspired by items in the ceramics galleries. However, after seeing so many still life paintings, I knew I wanted to weave their influence into the final design, so I incorporated some tiny fruits.”

The final design, including 3D fruit, took a few days to complete, with Rosie working on small areas at a time. She used Après Gel-X Natural Round Medium Tips, with gels and art gels from Gellifique, Kokoist, Riccagel and TwentyPro, plus 3D clay from Sissi and Kkookie Zombie Top Coat.

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Rosie describes the collaboration as a ‘dream project’, and comments: “Visiting the Fitzwilliam Museum was truly inspiring and I had such a fun day walking around. I often get asked where I draw inspiration from and the answer is always the same: everywhere and everything.

“By translating museum pieces into a nail design, people can engage with historical artwork in a new way. It was really exciting to bring nail art into a museum context and show how it can exist as a legitimate form of artistic expression, as nails are essentially a miniature canvas.”

Follow Rosie on Instagram: @nails.bab

Follow the Fitzwilliam Museum on Instagram: @fitzmuseum_uk