Born in Zanzibar and raised in Britain, Lubaina Himid studied theatre design at Wimbledon School of Art and later earned an MA in Cultural History from the Royal College of Art. She emerged as a significant figure in the 1980s, playing a central role in the British Black arts movement, which sought to challenge the marginalization of Black artists within the institutional art world.

Himid works across a variety of media, including painting, installation, and printmaking. Her practice often features life-sized painted wooden cut-outs and vibrant canvases that engage with the legacies of colonialism, the transatlantic slave trade, and the representation of the African diaspora in Western art history.

Currently a professor of contemporary art at the University of Central Lancashire, Himid continues to influence the field through both her academic work and her artistic practice. She was the recipient of the Turner Prize in 2017, marking a significant moment of institutional recognition for her long-standing contributions to contemporary art.