Preston to exhibit celebrated art from Turner Prize winner Lubaina Himid

It will be her first exhibition in the city since winning the coveted award.

Sue Latimer, interim manager at the Harris, said: “We have had a long relationship with Lubaina and this is the fourth exhibition she’s had at the Harris.

“We are just so very pleased to be working with her in the city that she’s made her home.

“She is very much wanting to use the opportunity of the exhibition to draw people’s attention to what Preston and the Harris have to offer.”

Work shown will include Lubaina’s iconic The Fashionable Marriage (1986) and Inside the Invisible (2002), seen in the UK for the first time. The exhibition kicks off with an opening night on Thursday, March 1 from 6pm until 7.30pm. The showcase continues until June 3.

The artist, who is the first black woman to win the Turner Prize, has chosen the title of Hard Times, referencing Charles Dickens’ novel, which is thought to be inspired by his visit to Preston during the workers’ lock-out of 1853. Lubaina’s work celebrates black creativity and includes paintings, prints, drawings and installations.

Maria Murray, Head of Art, Design and Fashion at UCLan where Lubaina is a professor of contemporary art, said: “I’m delighted that Professor Lubaina Himid’s provocative and exciting work is going on display in Preston for all to see.

“The University and the city was very proud of her Turner Prize success so for art lovers to be able to see the work of someone with such international acclaim in Preston is fantastic.”

Lubaina is out of the country and unable to comment.