Himid wins Government Art Collection commission
Lubaina Himid has won the Government Art Collection’s annual commission, with the result unveiled today.
Old Boat, New Weather is a screen print created through archive photographic imagery and woven colour, which was unveiled by the new DCMS minister of state Julia Lopez at No11 Downing Street, official home of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The Robson Orr TenTen Award, sponsored by Sybil Robson Orr and Matthew Orr through their Outset Contemporary Art Fund, was founded in 2018 as a ten year scheme to add to the holding of contemporary art in the Government Art Collection Fund (GAC) by commissioning an artist every year. Last year’s winner was Yinka Shonibare.
Himid, winner of the Turner Prize in 2017, was one of the first artists to be involved in the Black Arts movement in the UK and works on themes cultural history and reclaiming identities. Her picture references safe and danger, architecture and ships, livery and imperialism.
“Old Boat, New Weather by Lubaina Himid is a striking and complex print, which will be seen by the many thousands of visitors to UK government buildings around the world, contributing to the promotion of British art and cultural diplomacy” said Penny Johnson, director of the GAC.
