Abigail Owuo; Stormzy
- Artist: Olivia Rose
- Date: 2016
- Medium: gelatin silver print
- Dimensions: 13 1/8 in. x 11 in. (333 mm x 278 mm) image size
- Portrays: Abigail Owuo, Stormzy (Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr.)
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is a close‑up portrait by photographer Olivia Rose, taken on 7 March 2016. In the frame you can see Abigail Owuo holding her son Michael, who performs as the grime artist Stormzy. Notice how their faces sit side by side: the mother’s warm expression meets the boy’s earnest gaze against a simple background that hints at the Chequers pub in Oxford where they were photographed before his speech to the Guild.
The image is a gelatin silver print—an early black‑and‑white process that gives crisp detail and subtle tonal depth. The print measures about 13 ⅛ inches by 11 inches (333 × 278 mm). It was later added to our photographs collection in 2018.
Olivia Rose published the picture in her book “This is Grime,” where Stormzy says, “Me, Michael, Abigail’s son, my journey from the get go has always been bigger than myself.” The portrait therefore captures both a family moment and an artist on a public stage. The work belongs to the National Portrait Gallery.
See it in person
Abigail Owuo; Stormzy is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
