My Sketchbook | Lubaina Himid
Why It Matters
Himid’s iterative sketching transforms historical imagery into public art, showing process as a catalyst for socially resonant work.
Key Takeaways
- •Sketches serve as confidence-building drafts before final paintings.
- •Reimagined Hogarth's work, replacing aristocrats with two Black men.
- •Detailed boat drawings help Himid cope with anxiety.
- •Proposal for Jelly Mould Pavilion became lasting Folkestone installation.
- •Daily idea generation fuels continuous artistic practice despite constraints.
Summary
Lubaina Himid uses her sketchbook as a laboratory, turning rough drawings into the foundation for major installations and paintings. She explains that quick sketches build confidence before she commits to larger works, allowing her to experiment with form and narrative.
Among the sketches highlighted is a reworking of Hogarth’s "Captain Lord George Graham in his Cabin," where she excises the aristocratic figures and inserts two Black men, prompting a dialogue about race in an 18th‑century setting. She also draws boats meticulously when feeling anxious, using the process as emotional regulation.
The video references a proposal for the Jelly Mould Pavilion at Folkestone, originally intended as a three‑month beach piece but still standing, and a text‑laden drawing for the Gwangju Biennale that reads “Don’t go chasing waterfalls.” These examples illustrate how ideas migrate from page to public space.
Himid’s practice underscores the power of continual ideation: daily sketches keep her creative engine running, even when full‑scale productions are impossible, and they enable her to reshape historical narratives into contemporary, socially engaged art.
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