Lubaina Himid and Magda Stawarska Reunite for 'Zanzibar' at Lisson Gallery
Lubaina Himid and Magda Stawarska collaborate on 'Zanzibar' (1999–2023), an immersive installation at Lisson Gallery, London, from 4 June to 22 August 2026. The exhibition reunites their practices through Himid's abstract diptychs from 1999 and Stawarska's eight-channel soundscape composed in 2023. Himid's geometric canvases, a departure from her figurative work, evoke fragments of Zanzibar, the East African archipelago where she was born, and memories of migration to London after her father's death. Stawarska's composition weaves archival recordings, Taraab music, opera, and spoken text, creating a sensory landscape exploring loss, migration, and belonging. The installation resists fixed narrative, operating as suspended sensory fragments between abstraction and autobiography.
Key facts
- Exhibition titled 'Zanzibar' runs from 4 June to 22 August 2026 at Lisson Gallery, London.
- Collaboration between Lubaina Himid and Magda Stawarska.
- Himid's abstract diptychs were painted in 1999.
- Stawarska's eight-channel soundscape was composed in 2023.
- Himid's canvases are geometric, a departure from her figurative style.
- The work references Zanzibar, where Himid was born, and her migration to London.
- Soundscape includes archival recordings, Taraab music, opera, and spoken text.
- Installation explores themes of loss, migration, and belonging.
Entities
Artists
- Lubaina Himid
- Magda Stawarska
Institutions
- Lisson Gallery
- Hollybush Gardens
- Greene Naftali
- British Pavilion
- Venice Biennale
- WIELS
- Tate Modern
- Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts
- Sharjah Art Foundation
- Kettle's Yard
- Mudam
- UCCA Center for Contemporary Art
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Zanzibar
- East Africa
- Brussels
- Belgium
- Lausanne
- Switzerland
- Sharjah
- United Arab Emirates
- Cambridge
- Luxembourg
- Beijing
- China