Lubaina Himid facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Professor Lubaina Himid CBE RA
Born	1954 (age 70–71) Sultanate of Zanzibar
Nationality	British
Alma mater	Wimbledon School of Art Royal College of Art
Occupation	Artist, professor, curator
Years active	1983–present
Awards	Turner Prize (2017)

Lubaina Himid (born in 1954) is a famous British artist and a curator. A curator is someone who chooses and organizes artworks for exhibitions in museums or galleries. She is also a professor of contemporary art at the University of Central Lancashire. Contemporary art means art made in our modern times.

Lubaina Himid's art often explores cultural history and helps people understand their identities better. She was one of the first artists to be part of the Black Art movement in the UK during the 1980s. She continues to create art that speaks out about important issues, and her work is shown in galleries all over the world.

She has received several important awards for her contributions to art. In 2010, she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her work supporting Black women's art. In 2017, she won the prestigious Turner Prize, which is a big award for British artists. The next year, in 2018, she was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her services to art.

Early Life and Education

Lubaina Himid was born in 1954 in Zanzibar, which is now part of Tanzania. When she was just four months old, her father passed away. She then moved to Britain with her mother, who was a textile designer.

She went to the Wimbledon College of Art, where she studied Theatre Design. She earned her first degree in 1976. Later, in 1984, she completed her master's degree in Cultural History from the Royal College of Art in London.

What Lubaina Himid Does as a Curator

Lubaina Himid has organized many art shows, especially featuring works by Black women artists. These shows helped bring their art to a wider audience.

Some of the exhibitions she curated include:

• Black Woman Time Now (1983) at the Battersea Arts Centre in London.
• Five Black Women (1983) at the Africa Centre in London.
• Into the Open (1984) at the Mappin Art Gallery in Sheffield. This was seen as the first big show for a new group of Black British artists.
• The Thin Black Line (1985) at the Institute of Contemporary Arts.

One of her most well-known projects is Naming the Money (2004). This art piece features 100 painted figures of enslaved people. These individuals were bought as "property" by wealthy Europeans in the 18th century. They worked in European courts as dog-trainers, toy makers, musicians, and more. Through this artwork, visitors learn about their original identities and the new roles forced upon them. It helps us remember these people and their stories.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Lubaina Himid has been recognized with many awards and honors for her important work in the art world.

Important Boards and Councils

She has served on the boards of many art organizations. She is currently a trustee for the Lowry Arts Centre in Manchester. She is also a board member for Arts Council England Visual Arts. In the past, she was on the board for Matt's Gallery in London and the Tate Liverpool Council.

Major Awards

• In June 2010, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her dedication to Black Women's Art.
• In 2017, Lubaina Himid made history by becoming the first Black woman to win the Turner Prize. This is one of the most famous art awards in the world. She was also the oldest person to be nominated for the prize since the rules changed to include artists over 50.
• Apollo magazine, a well-known art publication, named her the 2017 Artist of the Year.
• In 2018, she was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her overall contributions to art.
• Also in 2018, she was elected a Royal Academician. This means she became a member of the Royal Academy of Arts, a very old and respected art institution in Britain.
• In 2023, she received the Maria Lassnig Prize, another significant award for artists.

Famous Artworks

Lubaina Himid has created many powerful and thought-provoking artworks. Here are some of her notable pieces:

• We Will Be (1983) – made with wood, paint, drawing pins, wool, and collage.
• Bone in the China: success to the Africa Trade (around 1985) – an installation art piece.
• Revenge: a masque in five tableaux (1991–92) – a large artwork with multiple parts.
• Zanzibar (1999) – a series of paintings.
• Plan B (1999–2000) – another series of paintings.
• Swallow Hard: the Lancaster Dinner Service (2007) – painted ceramics.
• Negative Positives (2007– ) – a series of graphic works.
• Kangas (various dates) – artworks inspired by African garments called Kangas.
• Le Rodeur (2016) – a series of paintings.
• Sometimes you don't know what you're getting until it's too late (2020) – a series of paintings.
• Bittersweet (2022) – a series of paintings.

Where to See Her Art

Lubaina Himid's art can be found in many public collections across the UK. Some of these include:

• Tate
• Victoria & Albert Museum
• Whitworth Art Gallery
• Arts Council England
• Manchester Art Gallery
• International Slavery Museum, Liverpool
• Walker Art Gallery
• Birmingham City Art Gallery
• Bolton Art Gallery
• New Hall, Cambridge
• Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston

Solo Art Exhibitions

Lubaina Himid has had many solo exhibitions, where only her work is shown. Here are some of them:

• GA Fashionable Marriage, Pentonville Gallery, London (1986)
• The Ballad of the Wing, Chisenhale Gallery, London (1989)
• Lubaina Himid: Revenge, Rochdale Art Gallery, Rochdale (1992)
• 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 (2016–2017)
• Warp and Weft, Firstsite, Colchester (2017)
• Our Kisses are Petals, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead (2018)
• Solo show at Tate Modern, London (November 2021 - 2022)

See also

In Spanish: Lubaina Himid para niños