Habib Hajallie

For Habib’s Deptford X commission he has created a photo-realist ballpoint pen portrait of Sybil Phoenix OBE, to feature in his ongoing Pioneers series of artworks. Sybil is a trailblazing community leader from Lewisham via Guyana, and the first Black woman in Britain to receive an MBE. For decades, she dedicated herself to supporting vulnerable young people and fostering unity in Lewisham, becoming a cornerstone of the community. The portrait was drawn on pages from ‘A Philosophy for a Modern Man’ (1938) by H. Levy, highlighting the contrast between outdated ideologies and Sybil’s progressive legacy. 

Reflecting on her journey, she once said, “I rose from the ashes, and I have survived”. This work celebrates her enduring impact and honours the overlooked contributions of Black British women in shaping modern Britain.

Habib’s other works in the series include drawings of Mary Seacole, Fou Ts’Ong, Rosalind Franklin and Dadabhai Naoroji, honouring their contributions within their specific worlds.

Thank you to Sybil and Woodrow Phoenix.

Opening Hours

Tue – Fri : 12pm – 6pm

Sat & Sun : 10am – 6pm

Preview

Fri 11 July 6pm – 9pm

Thank you to our venue partner Art Hub Studios 

Access information:The gallery space and toilets at Art Hub Studios have step free access.

Habib Hajallie is a commissioned Deptford X 2025 Artist. 

Habib Hajallie is an elected member of The Royal Society of British Artists, an honouree on Forbes’ prestigious 30 Under 30 list 2023 and the winner of The UK New Artist of The Year Award 2022. Habib looks to champion figures from ethnically diverse backgrounds that have conspicuously been omitted from traditional British portraiture. Through the exploration of identity within his ballpoint pen portraits; he looks to confront socio-political issues apropos to the perception of various demographics as being of lesser human value. Specifically, with minority groups often being further marginalised by mainstream media, reflecting an archaic hierarchy of status emblematic of colonial ideologies. 

Habib strives to rectify the historic lack of visibility of figures from global majority backgrounds. Therefore, questioning preconceived notions regarding what it means to be quintessentially British, as well as the uncomfortable nuances that are associated with this, is imperative for the artist. Though born in Southeast London, his drawings are often Informed by his Sierra Leonean and Lebanese heritage. By calling upon anecdotal references to portray scenes that are occasionally quasi-surrealist representations, the drawings look to confront lingering ethnocentrisms that are still embedded within modern western society. 

Using antique texts & maps as canvases enables Habib to pragmatically re-contextualise ephemera, creating a cohesion between the concepts informing the work and the figures he depicts. 

Specialising in the use of a monochrome medium such as the black ballpoint pen to celebrate Blackness, allows Habib to somewhat paradoxically, show that there is more to an individual than just the colour of their skin.  He builds layers of tone with delicate mark making methods through precise strokes of the everyday ballpoint pen as he looks to celebrate authentic drawing within the digital age. 

Recent exhibitions include Society of Graphic Fine Art 99th Annual Exhibition – Mall Galleries, London (2021); Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours 209th Exhibition – Mall Galleries (2021); RCA Annual Exhibition – Royal Cambrian Academy of Art, Conwy, Wales (2021); Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition – Mall Galleries (2021); ING Discerning Eye Exhibition 2020 – Virtual Exhibition; Wells Art Contemporary 2020 – Wells Cathedral; MK Calling 2020 – MK Gallery, Milton Keynes; Embracing Our Differences 2020 – Sarasota Park, Florida, USA; Liverpool Biennial: Bloomberg New Contemporaries – Liverpool School of Art & Design (2018). Recent residencies include UAL:20/20 Decolonising Arts Institute residency at Pallant House Gallery, Chichester 2023; NG Creative Art Residency – NG Art Gallery, Provence, France 2021; Southwark Park Galleries Residency, London; Space & Time Artist Residency – Guttenberg Arts, New Jersey, USA

Image: Habib Hajallie, A British Hall of Fame, 2023