News / 11 Feb 2025
Alumna’s painting of David Oluwale on display in Leeds City Museum
Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
On 22 January 2025, the David Oluwale Room was opened at Leeds City Museum as part of ‘The Leeds Story’ exhibition. Permanently displayed in this room is Foundation Diploma in Art and Design alumna, Lynne Arnison’s, colourful painting of David Oluwale.
David Oluwale was a Nigerian-British citizen who struggled with poor mental health and homelessness, and endured racism, destitution and police persecution, culminating in what is believed to be his drowning in the River Aire, near Leeds Bridge, at the hands of two policemen. As part of LEEDS 2023, the outdoor public sculpture ‘Hibiscus Rising’ was unveiled to commemorate the life of David Oluwale, and the launch of the David Oluwale Room in Leeds City Museum follows suit.
Lynne Arnison is an artist interested in social history who enjoys documenting working class, Leeds and Yorkshire based stories. In 2017, saddened by David Oluwale’s story, Lynne painted a colourful painting of David using the only image we have of David, a black and white headshot, as reference. Leeds City Museum and Art Gallery decided to purchase Lynne’s painting last year to permanently exhibit in the David Oluwale room as part of The Leeds Story exhibition.
"I wanted to add colour and a tangible existence to the image we have of David. I wanted to bring him to life. I made the backdrop of the painting in the colours of the Nigerian flag, and customised the frame of the painting with all the streets of Leeds where he was seen. At the bottom, I depicted The Calls where he was last seen, with the River Aire in red where he sadly died."
Lynne Arnison, Foundation Diploma in Art and Design alumna
At the museum’s launch event, Lynne’s painting was celebrated alongside other art connected to David, including the maquette of Hibiscus Rising. The David Oluwale Memorial Association (DOMA) were in attendance at the launch along with Dr Emily Zobel Marshall, Co-Chair of the DOMA board. Emily Zobel Marshall is particularly interested in race and identity politics and she herself is represented on Ribbons, another public sculpture in Leeds aiming to address the lack of diversity in public sculpture.
In connection with Lynne’s painting of David Oluwale, Leeds Museums and Art Galleries have also purchased another painting from Lynne; an oil painting of Albert Johanneson. Johanneson was one of the first high-profile black men, of any nationality, to play top-flight football in England. He is recognised as being the first person of African heritage to play in the FA Cup final in 1965 for Leeds United. Lynne’s painting is to be used by Leeds Museums and Art Galleries for future exhibitions.
Lynne's Studio Gallery is open to the public most Sundays in Scarborough, and she is taking part in Scarborough Art this summer.