Michael Wellen Lubaina Himid

Initially trained in theatre design, Lubaina Himid is known for her innovative approaches to painting and to social engagement. She has been pivotal in the UK since the 1980s for her contributions to the British Black arts movement, making space for the expression and recognition of Black experience and women’s creativity. Over the last decade she has earned international recognition for her figurative paintings, which explore overlooked and invisible aspects of history and of contemporary everyday life.

In 2017 she was awarded the Turner Prize. Himid has long wanted to create a publication that explores the key themes and concerns in her work using a fresh and intriguing approach. This book breaks from the traditional artist monograph and instead serves as a useful manual for readers, using a series of ‘how-to’ sections inspired by the artist’s work.

Contributions on topics such as ‘How to paint on things’, ‘How to write in code’, ‘How to do magic’, ‘How to be funny’, ‘How to make a life plan using poetry’ address the key artistic interests of Himid’s career, particularly her exploration of the history of painting, political satire, poetry and spoken word, architecture and spaces for feeling safe, and for creativity, textiles and the non-verbal messages of pattern.

The artist will contribute new texts of her own and contributors from a variety of backgrounds and expertise will write from perspectives that set Himid’s work and artistic interests into wider contexts. The publication will also include a selection of the poetry that has influenced the artist throughout her career.