Royal Academy of Arts (London)

My Sketchbook | Lubaina Himid

In the video, contemporary artist Lubaina Himid explains how she uses a constant flow of sketches to build confidence and generate ideas for larger works. Rather than keeping a conventional sketchbook, she piles sheets of paper in her studio, allowing thoughts, lists, and visual experiments to coexist on the same surface. This practice lets her test concepts—ranging from an orrery to a Mandela memorial—before committing to paint or construct. Himid illustrates the method with numerous examples: a discarded orrery sketch that led her to abandon a painting in favor of a teeth motif; a theatrical backdrop for the Manchester International Festival that she realized would distract audiences; and a rejected Nelson Mandela memorial design featuring a football‑mosaic floor that remains a portfolio highlight. She also draws boats—Zanzibari dhows, English slave ships—to manage anxiety, later translating those studies into installations for the High Line and the Gwangju Biennale. A striking moment comes when she reinterprets William Hogarth’s 1742 cabin scene, excising aristocratic figures and leaving two Black men to converse, thereby reshaping historical narrative. This reworking became part of her "Le Rodeur" series, demonstrating how sketching can serve as a laboratory for political and cultural commentary. Other sketches include pattern practice, voting‑pavilion proposals, and a jelly‑mould pavilion that evolved from a temporary beach structure to a lasting installation. Overall, Himid’s relentless sketching underscores the importance of low‑stakes visual thinking in contemporary art production. By externalizing ideas onto paper, she mitigates creative risk, refines concepts, and creates a repository of material that can be revisited for future commissions, exhibitions, or public projects.