Disabled UK Artists

1. Alison Lapper

• Disability: Born without arms and with shortened legs due to a condition called phocomelia.
• Art Style: Known for her self-portraits and photography that explore perceptions of disability and beauty.
• Notable Work: Lapper was the subject of a monumental sculpture by Marc Quinn titled "Alison Lapper Pregnant", displayed on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square.
  

2. Yinka Shonibare CBE RA

• Disability: Uses a wheelchair due to transverse myelitis, which partially paralyzed his body.
• Art Style: Works with sculpture, painting, and installations, often exploring colonialism, race, and cultural identity.
• Notable Work: Shonibare's famous piece, "The Swing (After Fragonard)", reimagines classic art through a postcolonial lens.
  

3. Rachel Gadsden

• Disability: Lives with visual impairment and a rare lung condition.
• Art Style: Creates expressive paintings, performances, and multi-media installations.
• Notable Work: Gadsden often focuses on themes of resilience and the human spirit, collaborating on international projects addressing disability and inclusion.
  

4. Tanya Raabe-Webber

• Disability: Born with Spina Bifida.
• Art Style: Specializes in portraiture and explores themes of identity and inclusion.
• Notable Work: She has created portraits of other disabled individuals as part of her "Revealing Culture" series.
  

5. Tom Shakespeare

• Disability: Has achondroplasia (a form of dwarfism).
• Art Style: Though more known as a sociologist and bioethicist, Shakespeare is also an artist who explores disability culture and identity through mixed media.
  

These artists have played an essential role in challenging stereotypes about disability and contributing to broader conversations about inclusion and diversity in the arts.