Skip to main content

Michelle Baharier

London, Camberwell Green
Age five, my art work was exhibited at School. Inspired by daily life, I create the ordinary/extraordinary, voicing the unseen/invisible/unheard, bringing neglected stories to life. Via colour and interaction with audiences.
Contact
Links

Art is my necessity. I create to amplify marginalised voices, telling people’s stories through visual communication.

I work culturally, emotively, using archives to uncover people’s stories, both living and dead, in ways that relate to my own lived experiences. I draw deeply from my own life, including my experience with dyslexia, turning it into a creative force for transformation.

As a multidisciplinary artist I use paint, performance, photography and poetry to provoke dialogue and challenge cultural perceptions. My work explodes in bright colours, exploring themes of disability, working-class identity, gender, social justice and the built environment.

I often paint fast and furious, using visual narratives charged with passion for a conversation with my audience.

My performances, like What Shapes You? MIMA 2025, combine storytelling with participatory elements and engage audiences intellectually and emotionally.

My portraits, such as that of disability rights campaigner Baroness Campbell of Surbiton, speak to broader political movements. My practice is inspired by global struggles like Women, Life, Freedom. I collaborate widely, attend peer-led groups, and experiment constantly in my studio. Over four decades, I’ve built a vast bank of technical and conceptual skills. I remain fiercely curious, always evolving, especially as digital tools reshape creative language.

 

The Great British Tea Break, Art Performance

Nick Saunders, Acrylic Portrait on Linen

What Shapes You?, Art Performance by Michelle Baharier at MIMA, Middlesborough Institute of Modern Art, February 2025

Life as Is, Not as Expected, Polyptych, Acrylic on Canvas

The Walkie-Talkies, Video Collages, by Michelle Baharier

Helping Artists Keep Going

Axis is an artist-led charity supporting contemporary visual artists with resources, connection, and visibility.

Become a Member

Join the UK’s Leading Artist Community

Be part of a caring, mutual aid network. Connect with fellow artists and access insurance, space, opportunities, and support to grow your practice.

Become a Member