Hannah Uzor (born 1982) is a British-Zambian painter.

Early life and education

Hannah Hasiciimbwe was born in

Lusaka Lusaka ( ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Zambia. It is one of the fastest-developing cities in southern Africa. Lusaka is in the southern part of the central plateau at an elevation of about . , the city's population was abo ...

, Zambia. As an infant, she and her parents moved to England, returning to Zambia when she was two years old. She became interested in art at a young age, and began painting as a teenager. She returned to the U.K. to pursue a bachelor's degree in computer studies. In 2019, Uzor began formal art studies at

Kensington and Chelsea College Morley College is a specialist adult education and further education college in London, England. The college has three main campuses, one in Waterloo on the South Bank, and two in West London namely in North Kensington and in Chelsea, the lat ...

. She earned her master's degree at the

Slade School of Fine Art The UCL Slade School of Fine Art (informally The Slade) is the art school of University College London (UCL) and is based in London, England. It has been ranked as the UK's top art and design educational institution. The school is organised as ...

. She won the school's inaugural Milein Cosman Scholarship for Drawing in 2021.

Career

Uzor is inspired by history, particularly Black diasporic history and figures. She works primarily with acrylics. She has cited Cézanne,

Gauguin Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (; ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and writer, whose work has been primarily associated with the Post-Impressionist and Symbolist movements. He was also an influ ...

, Toulouse Lautrec,

Kerry James Marshall Kerry James Marshall (born October 17, 1955) is an American artist and professor, known for his paintings of Black figures. He previously taught painting at the School of Art and Design at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In 2017, Marshall ...

Yinka Shonibare Yinka Shonibare (born 9 August 1962), is a British artist living in the United Kingdom. His work explores cultural identity, colonialism and post-colonialism within the contemporary context of globalisation. A hallmark of his art is the bright ...

, and Barbara Walker as influences. Prior to working as an artist, Uzor worked in business development and digital marketing. She was inspired to work as a painter following her mother's death in 2016. In October 2020, Uzor's portrait of

Sarah Forbes Bonetta Sarah Forbes Bonetta or Sally Forbes Bonetta, (born Aina or Ina; c. 1843 – 15 August 1880), was ward and goddaughter of Queen Victoria. She was believed to have been a Omoba, titled member of the Egbado clan of the Yoruba people in West Africa ...

, a West African princess and a goddaughter of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

, was exhibited by

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...

Osborne House Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat. Albert designed the house in the style ...

on the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight (Help:IPA/English, /waɪt/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''WYTE'') is an island off the south coast of England which, together with its surrounding uninhabited islets and Skerry, skerries, is also a ceremonial county. T ...

in honor of

Black History Month Black History Month is an annually observed commemorative month originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It began as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the Af ...

. The portrait is based on a photo of Bonetta in her

wedding dress A wedding dress or bridal gown is the dress worn by the bride during a wedding ceremony. The color, style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants. Wedding dresses hold a significan ...

. In May 2024, Uzor was commissioned by ''

Tatler ''Tatler'' (stylised in all caps) is a British magazine published by Condé Nast Publications. It focuses on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper and upper-middle c ...

'' to paint a portrait of

Catherine, Princess of Wales Catherine, Princess of Wales (born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton; 9 January 1982), is a member of the British royal family. She is married to William, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne. Born in Reading, Catherine grew ...

for the cover of their July 2024 issue. Uzor was not able to have Catherine sit for the portrait, and instead used images available online as reference material. She completed the project in three weeks. When images of the portrait were released in May, some media outlets and social media users criticized the piece for not looking like Catherine.

Personal life

Uzor met her husband, Peter, through her church.The couple have three children. She lives in

St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Uzor, Hannah Living people 1982 births 21st-century British painters 21st-century British women artists 21st-century Zambian women Alumni of the Slade School of Fine Art British portrait painters 21st-century British women painters People from Lusaka People from St Albans Portrait painters Zambian emigrants to the United Kingdom 21st-century Zambian painters Zambian women artists