Lubaina Himid

Lubaina Himid MBE (born 1954 in Zanzibar, Tanzania) is a contemporary African artist and Professor of Contemporary Art at the University of Central Lancashire in the north west of England. Her art focuses on themes of cultural history and reclaiming identities. She was one of the first artists involved in the Black Art movement in the 1980s and continues to create activist art which is shown in galleries in Britain, as well as worldwide. Himid was appointed MBE in June 2010 for "services to Black Women's Art".

Himid was born in Zanzibar in 1954 and moved to Britain with her mother, a textile designer, following the death of her father when she was just four months old. She attended the Wimbledon College of Art, where she studied Theatre Design, obtaining her B.A. in 1976.. She received her Master's degree in Cultural History from the Royal College of Art in London in 1984. She is represented by Hollybush Gardens gallery in Clerkenwell, London.

• Bone in the China: success to the Africa Trade (installation, c. 1985)
• Revenge: a masque in five tableaux (multipart installation, 1991–92)
• Zanzibar (series of paintings, 1999)
• Plan B (series of paintings, 1999–2000)
• Swallow Hard: the Lancaster Dinner Service (painted ceramics, 2007)
• Negative Positives (series of graphic works, 2007– )
• Kangas (associated works on paper etc, various dates)
• Le Rodeur (series of paintings, 2016)

• GA Fashionable Marriage, Pentonville Gallery, London (1986)
• The Ballad of the Wing, Chisenhale Gallery, London (1989)
• Plan B and Zanzibar, Tate St. Ives (1999)
• Inside The Invisible, St. Jørgens Museum, Bergen, Norway (2001)
• Double Life, Bolton Museum (2001)
• Naming the Money, Hatton Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne (2004)
• Swallow, Judges' Lodgings, Lancaster (2006)
• Swallow Hard, Judges' Lodgings, Lancaster (2007)
• Talking On Corners Speaking In Tongues, Harris Museum, Preston, Lancashire (2007)
• Kangas and Other Stories, Peg Alston Gallery, New York City (2008)
• Jelly Mould Pavilion, Sudley House, Liverpool and National Museums Liverpool (2010)
• Tailor Striker Singer Dandy, Platt Gallery of Costume, Manchester (2011)
• Invisible Strategies, Modern Art Oxford (2016–17)

Reviewing an updated version of Himid's 2004 work "Naming the Money" for The Daily Telegraph in February 2017, Louisa Buck noted that,

"Himid's work has long been concerned with black creativity, history and identity and this animated throng represents the Africans who were brought to Europe as slave servants. There are drummers, dog trainers, dancers, potters, cobblers, gardeners and players of the viola da gamba, all decked out in vivid versions of 17th century costume. Labels on their backs identify each individual, giving both their original African names and occupations as well those imposed by their new European owners, and these poignant texts also form part of an evocative soundtrack, interspersed with snatches of Cuban, Irish, Jewish and African music."

Board memberships

Himid has held positions on many boards and panels. She is on the board of trustees for the Lowry Arts Centre Manchester. Additionally, she is a board member for Arts Council England Visual Arts, Creative Partnerships East Lancs and Arts Council England North West. Previous board memberships include Matt's Gallery, London (2002–05), and Tate Liverpool Council (2000, 2005). From 1985 until 1987 Himid was on the Greater London Arts Association Visual Arts Panel.

Awards

In 2017 Himid was nominated for the Turner Prize. This makes her the oldest person (as of May 2017) to be nominated for the prize since the rules changed to allow nominations of artists over the age of 50.