Arabella dorman biography meaning

Arabella Dorman

British war artist and portrait painter

Arabella Dorman (born in London)[1] is a British war artist and portrait painter.[2][3] She was chosen as one of the BBC's " Women" in [4]

Life

Dorman was born in in London. She studied at the Byam Shaw School of Art in London (since absorbed into Central Saint Martins) and the University of Edinburgh.[2] She is married to Dominic Elliot.[2]

In Dorman was Britain's first official war artist to go to the front line in Iraq[3] after being invited by Lt Gen Richard Shirreff, who had purchased one of her works.[5] She started her time in Iraq with the Royal Green Jackets in Basra Palace, where she frequently came under enemy fire, then went to the desert near the Iranian border.[6] She spent time with British forces in Afghanistan in In she was embedded with 2nd Battalion, The Rifles in Sangin, Helmand, though she was not allowed to accompany soldiers on patrol,[7] and in travelled within Afghanistan from her base in Kabul.[8]

Her humanitarian work has taken her to Gaza, Palestine & Israel (), Lebanon, Syria () and most recently, Ukraine (). Dorman's work explores the realities of modern conflict, its immediate impacts and long-term consequences, and the light that can be born out of the darkness of war.

She worked with refugees in Lesbos, Calais and Dunkirk in and [9] In December she created an art installation by suspending a dinghy, which had been used to transport refugees across the Mediterranean, from the roof of St James's Church, Piccadilly.[10][11] Called Flight, the exhibit was on display until February , and related the flight of refugees to the ancient tradition of hanging boats from church roofs.[12]

Following on from Dorman's critically acclaimed work Flight, Suspended formed part of her ongoing series of works seeking to highlight the humanitarian crisis of forced displacement across the world today. Suspended premiered in in St. James's Piccadilly, before touring the UK from , and was notably installed in Canterbury Cathedral and Leicester Cathedrals.

Dorman has exhibited at venues including the Imperial War Museum, the Frost and Reed Gallery, and La Galleria Pall Mall.[13] She works as an Ambassador to the charities Beyond Conflict[14] and Afghanaid and is a member of the Guild of St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital.[9]

She travelled across the Aralkum Desert in and the Sinai Peninsula in with Pom Oliver, Rosie Stancer and Lee Watts.[15]

In Dorman exhibited Child of War at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral,[16] London. This body of work explores the plight of children in war across the world today.

Publications

References

  1. ^Imperial War Museum: 'Dorman, Arabella (Oral history)'
  2. ^ abcAlberge, Dalya (19 October ). "An artist in Afghanistan: 'To tell the story, you've got to take risks'". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 November
  3. ^ abHarrison, David (2 May ). "War artist Arabella Dorman paints Iraq". The Telegraph. Retrieved 21 November
  4. ^"Who are the Women ?". BBC News. 26 October Retrieved 21 November
  5. ^Brooks, Richard (26 July ). "The new generation of war artists is more interested in capturing the psychology of warfare than the heroics of battle". Sunday Times magazine.
  6. ^van der Klugt, Melissa (9 May ). "Charcoal and mortar on the frontlines of Iraq". The Times.
  7. ^Coghlan, Tom (1 December ). "How fast can you do my portrait? What soldiers asked artist before going on patrol". The Times.
  8. ^van der Klugt, Melissa (18 October ). "The art of war in Afghanistan: Arabella Dorman has chronicled a country caught between hope and fear". The Times.
  9. ^ ab"About Arabella Dorman". Arabella Dorman. Retrieved 8 March
  10. ^Jonathan Jones (20 December ) "Flight by Arabella Dorman review: relic of a rough crossing illustrates refugee crisis", The Observer. Retrieved 15 December
  11. ^Robert Dex (27 January ) "Dinghy used to flee Syria will hang over audience at concert for victims of war", The Evening Standard. Retrieved 15 December
  12. ^"Flight, St James's Piccadilly: 20 December - 8 February ". Arabella Dorman. Retrieved 21 November
  13. ^"Exhibitions". Arabella Dorman. Retrieved 21 November
  14. ^"Ambassadors". Beyond Conflict. Retrieved 8 March
  15. ^D D Hammocks website, Exploring the Sinai with Rosie Stancer, article dated June 28,
  16. ^Religion Media Centre website, Child of War: artist’s testament to the suffering of Ukraine’s next generation, article by Catherine Pepinster dated May 24,
  17. ^Waterstones website, Arabella Dorman
  18. ^Amazon website, Drawing Fire

External links